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Africa: NGOs and Drugmakers Slam Compromise Plan on Covid-19 Patents
allAfrica, 17 March 2022
The European Union, the U.S., India and South Africa have reached a provisional compromise on waiving Covid-19 vaccine intellectual property (IP) rights. Read more »
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Africa: Top Economists and Oxfam Leader Demand Truly Just Covid IP Waiver
Common Dreams, 21 March 2022
"Like civil society groups around the world, we believe a bad deal is worse than no deal," they wrote to the South African president. Read more »
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Africa: Media Reaction in Response to Reports of a Compromise On the Vaccines Trips Waiver
Oxfam, 16 March 2022
In response to reports of a potential compromise agreed by the EU, South Africa, India and the US for a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID vaccines, Max Lawson, Head… Read more »
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Africa: MSF Responds to Potential Compromise on the TRIPS Waiver
MSF, 17 March 2022
WTO members must demand that any formal TRIPS waiver agreement includes waiving IP on COVID-19 treatments and diagnostics, addresses intellectual property barriers beyond patents Read more »
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South Africa: Why Not Supporting the Trips Covid-19 Waiver Contravenes International Human Rights
Daily Maverick, 1 December 2021
While more than 100 states support the proposal, powerful ones such as Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the UK, as well as the European Union, still do not, and may… Read more »
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Africa: TRIPS Waiver - U.S. Support Is a Major Step but No Guarantee of Covid-19 Vaccine Equity
The Conversation Africa, 12 May 2021
In a momentous shift, the US recently agreed to support a waiver of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The… Read more »
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Africa: What Does the 'TRIPS' Waiver Mean for Covid Vaccines?
The Conversation Africa, 7 May 2021
The US has announced its limited support for the "TRIPS waiver", a proposal to suspend intellectual property protections for products and technologies needed for the fight against… Read more »
NGOs and Drugmakers Slam Compromise Plan on Covid-19 Patents
The European Union, the U.S., India and South Africa have reached a provisional compromise on waiving Covid-19 vaccine intellectual property (IP) rights.
World Trade Organization (WTO) Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has welcomed the decision, hailing it as a breakthrough for the global trade body. "This is a major step forward and this compromise is the result of many long and difficult hours of negotiations," Okonjo-Iweala said.
The move has not been universally welcomed, with Oxfam saying that this "is not the comprehensive TRIPS waiver demanded by over 100 governments. Unless it is significantly improved it will not do enough to bring an end to vaccine apartheid and ensure access for all".
Doctors Without Borders issued a statement saying the deal did not adequately waive intellectual property (IP) on all Covid-19 medical tools. And leading economists have asked South African president Cyril Ramaphosa to reject the compromise.
InFocus
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Speaking at the G7 Leaders' Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on all G7 members to support the waiver of intellectual property rights on Covid19 vaccines, and engage in ... Read more »
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United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai has released a statement announcing the Biden-Harris Administration's support for waiving intellectual property protections for ... Read more »
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Calls on U.S. President Joe Biden to support the temporary waiver of patent rights for Covid-19 vaccines are growing. As the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Terri Ford says: "We Read more »
