-To understand and analyze the main social and technical factors that lead to the acknowledgement and consolidation of medicines as an essential component for health and its inclusion in the national and international health, trade and development agendas. -To understand and make use of the international regulatory and political frameworks which define access to medicines as a human right. -To understand the characteristics of the international pharmaceutical trade and the negotiation processes involved, as well as discuss their implications for the access to medicines. -To understand and discuss the implications of the International agreements and negotiations around intellectual property rights on the access to medicines.