WTO Members Stall at Finding Common Ground

Multilateral Solution to Address the Global Health Crisis Eludes India and South Africa

WTO members urged to consider Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) proposal put forward by India and South Africa for a temporary waiver of IP payments to Big Pharma to allow poor countries to manufacture vaccines in response to COVID-19.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged country members to address the proposal advanced by South Africa and India for an intellectual property waiver and access to essential COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and medical equipment.

TRIPS allows for waivers, when we need to address major public health threats that cannot be left to pharmaceutical companies and their commercial interests alone. COVID-19 calls for that, as a global health crisis that requires concerted action. None is safe until all are vaccinated and have access to therapeutics and medical equipment, echoed members at today’s meeting in Geneva.

The Global South is bearing the brunt of the pandemic, with government leaders that show utter disregard for scien…