NO DECISION YET ON PROPOSAL FOR INTERIM WAIVER ON IPR FOR COVID VACCINES: BIDEN
US President Joe Biden has said he has not made a decision yet on a proposal before the WTO to temporarily waive intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines as supporters and opponents mounted pressure on him in anticipation of a resolution of the issue at the world body’s general council meetings.
“We’re going to decide that as we go along. I haven’t made that decision yet,” Biden said of the WTO proposal moved by India and South Africa last October.
A group of Democratic lawmakers pressed him hours later, saying it was past time for him to take a call. “Mr President, stop deciding and start acting,” said Lloyd Doggett, one of the 108 Democratic members of congress who have jointly written to the president asking him to put people before pharmaceutical companies, who are opposing the waiver proposal.
“Even tomorrow, the administration can act,” he added, referring to the two-day meeting of the general council of the WTO that started Wednesday in Geneva. “Fight this pandemic by expanding global vaccine manufacturing capacity.” Doggett and some other signatories of the joint letter spoke to reporters Tuesday, to dial up pressure on the eve of the WTO meet. The WTO meeting is not expected to arrive at a decision on account of a lack of consensus.
Also on Tuesday, 12 Republicans urged the Biden administration to continue US opposition to the waiver proposal, which was a decision of the administration of former President Donald Trump.
India and South Africa moved the proposal before the WTO last October, when Trump was still in office, calling for temporarily waiver of the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to ensure easy and affordable access globally, and specially to developing countries, to Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics and related technologies till the pandemic had been curbed.