The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) met on Tuesday 14 September after two weeks of consultations with delegations, which showed no major changes in positions on lifting patents on Covid-19 vaccines, according to Council Chair Dagfinn Sørli (Norway).
According to a Geneva official, at the informal meeting South Africa called on the EU to “engage constructively in the discussions”. It also referred to the European Parliament’s vote in May on a resolution supporting the lifting of intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines.
India, for its part, which initiated the lifting proposal, along with South Africa, expressed its annoyance at the blocking of certain delegations. “We have wasted enough time discussing these issues, members should now deliver on their commitments, either by consensus or by starting negotiations based on substantive written proposals”, the Indian delegation said.
In addition, Malaysia has newly emerged as a supporter of the lifting.
For their part, the EU, the UK and Switzerland have maintained their position against this proposal and reiterated their arguments in favour of clarifying and facilitating compulsory licencing in the TRIPS agreements. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)