MSF response to WTO TRIPS Council moving toward text-based negotiations on the ‘TRIPS waiver’ proposal

9 June 2021 

Background: 

In a major breakthrough today at the TRIPS Council meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), members agreed to engage in a text-based process on the monopoly waiver proposal – the ‘TRIPS waiver’ – first proposed by South Africa and India in October 2020 and now sponsored by 63 WTO members. The next General Council meeting is scheduled for 21-22 July.  

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Leena Menghaney, Global IP Advisor for MSF’s Access Campaign: 

“This is a major breakthrough—after eight months of stalling, MSF welcomes the start of the negotiations and governments must do everything in their power to make sure that the ‘TRIPS waiver’ is not restricted to vaccines and has the best chance to save as many lives as possible throughout this pandemic. In addition to vaccines, the world urgently needs access to newer therapeutics and other health technologies to reduce the number of hospitalisations and deaths in this pandemic.”    

  

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Quote from MSF Access Campaign regarding the EU proposal, which is also up for discussion at the WTO: 

 

Dimitri Eynikel, EU Policy Advisor for MSF's Access Campaign: 

“The EU’s counter-proposal is weak, brings nothing significantly new to the table and risks prolonging negotiations on the ‘TRIPS waiver’ and the pandemic.” 

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Shailly Gupta

+41-79 203 13 02