AS DELIVERED

The United States recognizes the importance of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. However, the United Nations must respect the independent mandates of other processes and institutions, and it exceeds its mandate in calling for governments to engage in technology transfer that is not voluntary and on mutually agreed terms.

The United States reaffirms that the strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights helps to provide incentives needed to foster innovation that enables us to address the health, environmental, and development challenges of today and tomorrow. Consistent with its longstanding posture, the United States does not support the references to technology transfer in preambular paragraph 15 and operational paragraph 20, and continues to oppose language that we believe undermines intellectual property rights. The United States cannot support language that promotes technology transfer that is not on mutually agreed terms and voluntary and it underlines that such language will have no standing in future negotiations. We do not believe that UN resolutions are the appropriate vehicle for such pronouncements, and that inclusion of this language is an attempt to prejudice negotiations underway or anticipated in other more appropriate fora.

Finally, we refer you to our national statement delivered on November 8, which addresses our concerns regarding the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and trade. Thank you.

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