The 2nd World Local Production Forum (WLPF), held in The Hague from November 6 to 8, 2023, concluded with a set of comprehensive recommendations aimed at galvanizing regional partnerships for sustainable local production and equitable access to medicines and health technologies. The recommendations emphasize the critical role of enhancing geographically diverse local production through voluntary technology transfers and the importance of implementing these suggestions to build national and regional ecosystems.
The forum, which brought together a global constituency committed to improving access to quality health products, identified key elements for an effective ecosystem. These include efficient trade and regulatory systems, sustainable manufacturing capacity, access to affordable capital, skilled workforce development, and technology transfer. The 2nd WLPF underscored the need for coordination and cooperation between stakeholders to close existing gaps in ecosystems and make regional production viable.
The recommendations also highlight the significance of moving towards equity, emphasizing the need to enhance access to sustainably produced medicines and health technologies globally. The forum identified six interrelated elements crucial for the development of a successful ecosystem, including regulatory systems, manufacturing capacity, access to capital, policy development, information availability, and investment in early-stage research and development. Access to the 2nd WLPF Recommendations.
The WLPF encourages all relevant stakeholders to strengthen their engagement and support the implementation of these recommendations, reinforcing the momentum gained during the forum. The 3rd WLPF, hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2025, is expected to build on these recommendations to further enhance global health security and equitable access to medicines.
