South Africa and India made their case for a waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 medicines and vaccines at a closed-door meeting at the World Trade Organization, although there was little sign that they could succeed, sources at the international organization said today (19.01.2021).
Supporters of the temporary waiver - while the pandemic emergency continues - argue that intellectual property rights are not compatible with the monumental scale of vaccine production, amid widespread criticism of the unequal distribution of doses around the world.
Critics of the proposal include the European Union, the United States and Switzerland, home to the world's biggest drugmakers. Some countries say intellectual property rights do not address manufacturing and distribution problems that are currently delaying shipments.
Two global trade industry sources familiar with the discussions said there was no sign of a change in positions set out at the Geneva meeting of the WTO's Intellectual Property Rights Affairs Council.
In the run-up to the talks, supporters published a 30-page response to questions raised by opposing countries.
“One of the key reasons underlying insufficient supply and affecting procurement is the way in which major vaccine developers are managing their intellectual property and technologies,” the document says.
"If we allow for increased manufacturing and diversification of supply options, there will be a more timely and equitable distribution," they noted.
Shailly Gupta of the campaign group Doctors Without Borders said countries rejecting the idea appeared to be deliberately stalling for time.
"It is important to note that those who submitted this proposal are being repeatedly asked a similar set of questions in an attempt to stop the process," he said.
If the council agrees on a position, it will submit a proposal to the WTO's General Council, whose 164 members typically make decisions only by consensus.
Source: Reuters
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