PHM-Exch> Fwd: High Level Dialogue: TRIPS Waiver – Challenges & Opportunities

[Jyotsna Singh]

Dear friends,

This may be of interest to you.


*High Level Dialogue: TRIPS Waiver – Challenges & Opportunities*
13 September
3:15pm - 4:30 PM CEST

*Register Here:*
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jplD3DX5SSyQXwT7ZPPHJw

With 4.6 million deaths officially reported, evidence suggests that the
death toll is more than double with the pandemic increasingly concentrated
in developing countries and growing. Vaccine access is hugely uneven and
inequitable, while therapeutics are in short supply and priced out of
reach. Despite global calls for open sharing of knowledge and technology,
production of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics etc. continues to be
built on monopolies contributing to inequitable access to those critical
medical commodities.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is considering a proposal for a
temporary waiver from certain TRIPS obligations (TRIPS waiver) to remove
existing and potential legal barriers to create the freedom to operate and
collaborate  to scale-up manufacturing and diversify supply. This proposal
led by India and South Africa and co-sponsored by 64 WTO Members has
received widespread global support. However it faces resistance especially
from some high income economies that have sought to delay and distract from
the proposal. In particular, the European Commission, the official
representative of the European Union in the WTO is opposed to the TRIPS
waiver. Instead it has argued in favour of status quo through its WTO
communication (IP/C/W/681) although a European Parliament resolution
supports constructive text-based engagement “for a temporary waiver of the
WTO TRIPS Agreement”. In May, the US expressed support for an intellectual
property waiver for vaccines but has since been less forthcoming. The
Dialogue will discuss the challenges and opportunities with respect to the
TRIPS Waiver.

*Moderator:*
Leena Menghaney, Global IP Advisor, MSF Access Campaign

*Panellists: *
Anna Cavazzini, Group of the Greens/ European Free Alliance, MEP Germany

Ro Khanna Congressman U.S. House of Representatives

Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate Economist, Professor Columbia University

Graham Dutfield, Professor of International Governance, School of Law,
University of Leeds

Siva Thambisetty Associate Professor of Law London School of Economics and
Political Science
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