WTO receives first notification under "paragraph 6" system
Rwanda has become the first country to inform the World Trade Organisation that it is using the 30 August 2003 decision designed to ease the way for countries with public health problems to import cheaper generics made under compulsory licensing elsewhere when they are unable to manufacture the medicines themselves (often referred to as the "paragraph 6 system", i.e. implementing paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health).
Rwanda has become the first country to inform the World Trade Organisation that it is using the 30 August 2003 decision designed to ease the way for countries with public health problems to import cheaper generics made under compulsory licensing elsewhere when they are unable to manufacture the medicines themselves (often referred to as the "paragraph 6 system", i.e. implementing paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health).
The notification comes under paragraph 2(a) of the 30 August 2003 General Council decision, which requires eligible importing countries to report the details of the medicines they intend to import. As a least-developed country, Rwanda does not have to notify that it wants to be an "eligible importing member" under paragraph 1(b) of the 2003 decision (and 2005 amendment decision).