A two day international Conclave on Traditional Medicine (TM) organized by the Department of AYUSH in collaboration with NISCAIR, CSIR here on November 16 and 17 have identified the urgent need for harmonization and international cooperation in the area of TM. The recommendations of the Conclave will be submitted to the inter Governmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore to be held at Geneva as well as the International Regulatory Cooperation in Herbal Medicines (IRCH) set up recently under the aegis of the WHO.
The need for a harmonized herbal pharmacopoeia, challenges faced by non-tariff barriers in international trade, regulation of teaching and practice of TM etc were some of the major issues discussed during the conclave.

According to organizers, the conclave focused on the key issues of standardization, quality control, development of a regulatory approach for traditional medicine, issues relating to market authorization and IPR protection of traditional medicine.

About 100 delegates from SAARC, APTMNET, BIMSTEC, IBSA Forum member countries and representatives of WHO, WIPO, APCTT and experts on various aspects of traditional medicine and IPR protection participated in the conclave.

Internationally recognized experts on various issues relating to traditional medicine as well as representatives of WHO, WIPO and APTMNET as also various institutions of AYUSH, CSIR, ICMR and AYUSH drug industry were part of the organizing team.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss inaugurated the Conclave. Dr Nityanand, former Director, Central Drugs Research Institute, Lucknow delivered the keynote address.