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| | Legon International Scholar Series Begins at U.G |    | | | The new platform instituted for the delivery of monthly seminars at the University of Ghana, dubbed “Passing through Accra: Legon International Scholar Series (LISS)”, has seen the first seminar delivered by Prof. Kojo Yelpaala, Ghanaian-born Professor of Law at the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, California, USA.
 The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (Academic and Student Affairs), Prof. Kwesi Yankah, addressing the audience at the seminar, said the series would provide opportunity for the several scholars, statesmen, and intellectual celebrities passing through Accra to briefly share knowledge on topical issues, primarily with staff and students of the University. Prof. Yankah commended the Committee, chaired by Prof. Akosua A. Ampofo, Director of the Institute of African Studies, which ensured the effective take-off of the project.
Prof. Yelpaala, speaking on the topic, “The Impact of TRIPS and the Biodiversity Convention on Human Health and Food Security”, called for the reconstruction of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to remove its structural flaws which posed grave risks to human health, food security, and balanced development.
Prof. Yelpaala criticized the World Trade Organization (WTO) and TRIPS for the arrangements which linked the right to trade in all goods and services to the protection of foreign intellectual property rights, with the consequence that 80 percent of the world’s population, which live in developing countries, are denied access to drug imports as well as the technology to develop drugs to combat “diseases of poverty” such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
 The Speaker argued that given the “indisputable link between technology and economic development, the history of advancement of human society across regions, and its link to human health and food security”, the “WTO and TRIPS should be delinked and TRIPS reconstructed as a separate system”.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. E.K. Quashigah, who chaired the seminar, described the session as “very beneficial”. On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Prof. Quashigah presented a plaque to Prof. Yelpaala, commending him for becoming the first scholar to appear on the LISS platform.
Among the large audience were Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and students of the University, as well as a former Lecturer of Prof. Yelpaala and former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. S. Gyandoh. | | | | Date Published: 08/03/2011 | | | |   |
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