Goyal calls for quick patent waiver for Covid vaccine
India is looking for multilateral support and speedy resolution of its proposal on temporary intellectual property (IP) waiver on Covid-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.
Besides, there is a need for expeditious consensus building, transfer of technology and availability of raw materials to quickly overcome the Covid-induced crisis, he said.
The minister also urged countries to share vaccines liberally with those who are in dire need of it.
“I hope we can look at multilateral support and a consensus being developed quickly (at WTO). Here, speed is of essence. If it takes months to negotiate a consensus or an agreement, or we do negotiate it and we don't get the raw materials for it, then we are back to square one,” he said at the World Economic Forum’s session on global trade outlook. WTO Director-general Ngozi Okonjo-iweala, who was also present at the session, said besides Traderelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver, countries also need to lower export restrictions, and augment production to make vaccine access equitable, raise volume and distribution.
“We can’t afford to take months and years to negotiate something. We are talking about lives being lost. I am hoping members will come to the table quickly and start discussions,” she said. She added that she hopes to see member countries reach some agreement on TRIPS waiver by July and a final outcome
“WE ASSURE ALL OUR PHARMA FIRMS AND OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN IP-COMPLIANT, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO FOR ALL TIMES BUT THIS SITUATION NEEDS AN EXTRAORDINARY MEASURE”
PIYUSH GOYAL
Union commerce minister
by December, when the WTO ministerial council meeting is scheduled. In October 2020, India and South Africa proposed a temporary, focused and limited waiver on TRIPS to help more countries access vaccines. While developed nations have opposed the proposal, over the last week, countries such as the United States and New Zealand have shown support for a waiver of patent protections for vaccines.
Goyal said India (with its vaccine capacity) would be at the forefront in supporting the least developed countries and developing nations in this hour of need. “We assure all our pharmaceutical companies and other developed countries also that we have always been intellectual property-compliant, and will continue to be so for all times but this current situation needs an extraordinary measure,” he said.