Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an explanatory study into civil society's increased influence in global
governance. More specifically this situation is examined by looking at the generic medicine
debate that came in the wake of the passing of the Medicines and Related Substances Act by
the South African government in 1997. This debate gained worldwide attention and touched
some of the prevailing inequalities between the developed world and the developing world in
our globalised society. The research question that is addressed here is to what extent did civil
society influence the signing of the Doha Declaration of the TRIPS Agreement and Public
Health by the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001? In doing so, this
thesis looks at the role of the US government, the South African government, the
pharmaceutical industry, the WTO's TRIPS Agreement and civil society in the form of nongovernmental
organisations like Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Oxfam and Medecines
Sans Frontieres (MSF).
The study applies a constructivist approach in order to analyse how civil society used global
advocacy networks to inform and communicate the normative concerns regarding South
Africa and developing countries' lack of access to HIVand AIDS drugs. Moreover, it
examines how civil society's use of moral authority challenged the regulative power of the
WTO.
The study concludes that civil society played a vital role in influencing the WTO member
states' decision to sign the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.
However, it was not only civil society's ability to set the agenda concerning the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, but also the content of the normative concerns themselves that help explain its
success. Consequently, the study further concludes that civil society's success in this specific
case must be seen in light of its growing influence in challenging global governance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n verduidelikende studie van die burgerlike samelewing se groeiende invloed
in globale regering. Hierdie situasie word meer spesifiek ondersoek deur te kyk na die
generiese medisyne debat wat gevoer is na die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering die Medisyne en
Verwante Stowwe Wet van 1997 goedgekeur het. Hierdie debat het wêreldwye aandag geniet
en het geraak aan sommige van die bestaande ongelykhede wat daar heers tussen die
ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende wêreld in die geglobaliseerde samelewing.
Die navorsingsvraag wat hier aangespreek word is tot watter mate die burgerlike samelewing
die ondertekening van die Doha Verklaring van die TRIPS Ooreenkoms en Publieke
Gesondheid deur lede van die Wêreld Handelsorganisasie (WHO) in 2001 beïnvloed het.
Deur dit te doen, sal hierdie tesis kyk na die rol van die Amerikaanse regering, die Suid-
Afrikaanse regering, die farmaseutiese bedryf, die WHO se TRIPS Ooreenkoms en die
burgerlike samelewing in die vorm van nie-regerings organisasies soos die Treatment Action
Campaign (TAC), Oxfam en Medecines Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Die studie maak gebruik van 'n konstruktiwistiese benadering om 'n analise te doen van hoe
die burgerlike samelewing globale ondersteunings netwerke gebruik het om die normatiewe
besorgdhede wat heers oor die tekorte in Suid-Afrika en die ontwikkelende lande ten opsigte
van toegang tot MIV en VIGS medisyne, toe te lig en te verkondig. Verder ondersoek die
studie hoe die gebruik deur die burgerlike samelewing van morele gesag die regulerende mag
van die WHO uitgedaag het.
Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die bugerlike samelewing 'n uiters belangrike rol
gespeel het in die WHO lidlande se besluit om die Doha Verklaring van die TRIPS
Ooreenkoms en Publieke Gesondheid te onderteken. Dit was egter nie net die burgerlike
samelewing se vermoë om die agenda daar te stel ten opsigte van die MIV/VIGS pandemie
nie, maar ook die inhoud van die normatiewe besorgdhede self wat bygedra het om hierdie
sukses te verduidelik. Gevolglik kom die studie tot die verdere gevolgtrekking dat die
burgerlike samelewing se sukses in hierdie spesifieke geval gesien kan word in die lig van sy
groeiende invloed in die uitdaging van globale mag en gesag.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50414 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Karlsbakk, A. |
| Contributors | Adams, U., Van der Westhuizen, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 66 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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