28/01/2022 (Agence Europe) – “We should strive to get this result out by the end of February. It will be really sad if this organization keeps talking and debating on this pandemic, and that by the time we come up with a response people will not think it relevant”, said World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday 27 January. At a press briefing the following day with French Trade Minister Franck Riester, she said she was working hard with groups of countries to move forward quickly. At the same time, Mr Riester said that work could be done to facilitate access to compulsory licences (issued by governments) so that companies could produce vaccines without a patent. This echoed the European position of not fully lifting intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines. (LM)