International Conference on Silk-roads Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development (SiDRR Conference), co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Alliance of International Science Organization (ANSO), was held in Beijing from May 11 to 12, 2019. Opening statements were made by Bai Chunli, Dean of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mami Mizutori, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, official representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme and the Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Huang Runqiu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of People's Republic of China. Academicians, experts and scholars from academy of sciences of various countries of the world delivered splendid academic reports from various perspectives at the conference, which was attended by over 700 representatives from more than 40 countries. Professor Yu Xiang, Dean of Sino-European Institute for Intellectual Property of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Director of Chinese-German Institute for Intellectual Property of School of Management, as a representative of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Normal University and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, he presented a report entitled "The Silk-roads Disease Prevention and Cure Oriented International Coordination on Patent Licensing Mechanism".

Professor Yu Xiang first introduced that the areas and countries covered by Silk-roads are affected by infectious diseases, and people's health is seriously threatened, and one of the most important impediments to addressing public health and safety risks in these developing countries is the high price of patented medicines needed to treat diseases, preventing patients from getting cheap and effective medicines. In order to deal with the severe public health situation in the world, the TRIPS Agreement under the WTO framework has established a compulsory licensing system for pharmaceutical patents, which has been continuously improved and developed. Professor Yu Xiang briefly introduced the development of compulsory drug patent licensing system, and through typical cases, analyzed and expounded the practical application of the system in the countries along the Silk Roads. Finally, he suggested that both developing countries and countries with the capacity to manufacture medicines need to better understand and effectively use compulsory patent licensing, license of right, parallel imports and TRIPS flexibility to effectively address public health issues in their countries, while improving innovation capacity, guiding patent conversion and promoting patent licensing and cooperation. Countries should work together to fight against major diseases to realize their aspiration to build a community of shared future of human health.