The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday (09.03.2021) asked manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to step up their efforts to increase production in developing countries, in order to combat the limited supply of vaccines that is preventing many low-income countries from accessing them.
El release Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said at an event organised by the British think tank Chatham House that trade cooperation and measures within the WTO framework would help increase the supply of vaccines.
“The shortage of COVID-19 vaccine supplies has led to a situation where around 75 countries are able to move forward with vaccination, while 115 countries are waiting for people to die,” he said.
Such a situation is morally “inconceivable,” he stressed. It would prolong the pandemic and cause economic damage to all countries. Instead of restricting exports and raising prices, it is important to cooperate to address this problem of global commons.
The Director-General saw reasons for hope in the first deliveries of vaccines to developing countries from COVAX, the global mechanism for equitably procuring and distributing COVID-19 vaccines. However, production and delivery volumes remain too low.
“Scaling up production in the short term means making the most of existing manufacturing capacity. Recent experience suggests that repurposing facilities and verifying them for safety and quality can happen in six to seven months, less than half the time previously thought,” he said.
What are the difficulties?
The debates during the event highlighted three obstacles to increase production: insufficient raw materials, shortage of qualified, experienced personnel and supply chain problems related to export restrictions and bans, as well as excessive bureaucracy.
The WCO Director-General recalled that the organization establishes that export restrictions must be temporary, to prevent or alleviate critical shortages of essential products. For this reason, members must provide estimated dates for the gradual elimination of restrictions.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
