Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached a hard-fought agreement in the early hours of 17 June to offer even more flexibility on the intellectual property of Covid-19 vaccines (see EUROPE 12974/2). Part of the agreement stipulates that six months after the decision, members must decide on its extension to Covid-19 testing and treatment.
A group of developing countries put the issue on the table at a meeting on intellectual property at the WTO on 6 July. These countries circulated a proposal to include diagnostic tools and treatments in the 17 June Agreement and proposed a timetable for the next steps.
In their view, the current Agreement is not sufficient to tackle present and future challenges. This position has been supported by several developed countries, but others have reiterated their position that there is no evidence that intellectual property prevents access to immunisation. Some members asked for time to conduct consultations at national level on the issue.
Ambassador Lansana Gberie (Sierra Leone), who is chairing these negotiations at the WTO, has promised to come back to members with proposals for structuring these discussions in the coming months. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)