10/03/2022 (Agence Europe) – The agreement that was hoped for by March by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala regarding intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines remains a long way off. At a meeting at the WTO on Wednesday 9 March, several countries – including Switzerland, the UK and a group of African countries – complained about the lack of transparency in the ongoing talks. The issue is the subject of intense negotiations between South Africa, India, the US and the EU. The remainder of the membership is not sufficiently informed about the content of these discussions, according to some countries. Norwegian Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli, who chaired the meeting, noted that positions had not really changed on the issue of patent lifting, according to a Geneva source. An agreement is now expected in June at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. (LM)