The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) will hold the 12th Trilateral Cooperation Technical Symposium on “Antimicrobial Resistance: Addressing the Innovation Gap, Access Inequities, and Supply Challenges” on December 11, 2025. The registration deadline is December 9, 2025.
Objectives
By leveraging the complementary expertise of the three organizations, the Symposium aims to advance practical solutions that can help preserve antimicrobial effectiveness for future generations.
To do so, it will:
- Examine the current AMR landscape, its health and social-economic implications, and opportunities for coordinated action at global, regional, and national levels.
- Improve the understanding of challenges and opportunities in addressing the antimicrobial innovation and access gaps.
- Assess how legal and policy tools, including IP and other incentive mechanisms, can support innovation, technology transfer, as well as timely and global, equitable access.
- Discuss the role of trade rules and market dynamics and share insights in addressing shortages, strengthening manufacturing and supply chains, and facilitating equitable distribution.
WHO, WIPO and WTO Directors-General will provide opening remarks and Professor Ramanan Laxminarayan—University of Washington and One Health Trust—will deliver the keynote address. The Symposium will have three technical sessions highlighting public health, IP, and trade aspects in a complementary manner.
Background Information and Rationale
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat that could undermine decades of medical progress. AMR happens when microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) no longer respond to antimicrobial treatments, such as antibiotics. In 2021, bacterial AMR alone caused an estimated 1.14 million deaths worldwide. The latest WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) Report, based on data from over 100 countries, shows that resistance is both widespread and increasing, particularly in lower-income countries with limited capacity to prevent, diagnose, or treat infections. The economic impact is also significant, with potential reductions in global GDP of up to 3.8% by 2050.
Addressing AMR requires a coherent, multidisciplinary approach that promotes innovation that is supported by balanced intellectual property (IP) system, facilitates timely global equitable access to health technologies, fosters open trade while addressing national health security concerns, and supports sustainable supply chains. For more information see below the Concept Note.
Date, venue and registration
The Symposium will take place on December 11, 2025, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm (CET) in a hybrid format hosted by WIPO at the Centre de Conférence de Varembé (CCV), located at Rue de Varembé 9, 1202 Geneva. The event is open to the public and will be conducted in English. A detailed program will be available soon.
| Meeting code | WHO-WIPO-WTO/INN/GE/25 |
| Date and venue | December 11, 2025 (Geneva, Switzerland) Hybrid |
| Time of sessions | 10:00 - 16:15 Geneva time |
| Language(s) of interpretation | English |
