WTO members had the opportunity to give their first detailed response to the ‘outcome document’ on waiving intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines at a meeting of the TRIPS Council in Geneva on Friday (6 May). Their response? An agreement to keep on talking.
health
COVID-19 vaccines: draft WTO developing country IP waiver deal excludes China
The European Union, the United States, India, and South Africa last night reached a compromise on a waiver for developing countries from the World Trade Organization TRIPS agreement for COVID-19 related vaccines. The deal de facto excludes China from its benefits.
‘Trade and health’ work resumes at WTO as new MC12 date remains elusive
World Trade Organization delegations have decided that it is “premature” at present to set a revised date for the institution’s 12th ministerial conference, which had been due to take place towards the end of last year.
WTO Corner: Plastics, vaccines trade data, European Parliament, UK WTO prescriptions
The number of small developments related to the upcoming WTO 12th ministerial conference is growing exponentially, and it’s a genuine challenge to keep track of everything as there are so many moving parts. Here a selection – for today. Put together for you by the Borderlex Trio Rob Francis, Chris …
WTO Corner: Fish talks go for extra time, health text proposal
Welcome to the third edition of our WTO Corner blog this week. The wheels are churning in Geneva ahead of MC12. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
Blog: Pandemic defines first ‘hybrid’ WTO Public Forum in Geneva
The WTO Public Forum kicked off today in Geneva with delegates eager to get back into the swing of networking and debating critical trade issues. Rob Francis shares his impressions.
Facilitator outlines first ideas for a formalised WTO pandemic response
It’s taken former General Council chair David Walker about one month to figure out what members of the world trade institution in Geneva would likely want to negotiate on in the area of trade and health post-pandemic. Among others, Walker hopes that WTO members could agree quickly on a framework …
James Bacchus: The WTO simply must prove that it can do something, not just talk
James Bacchus spoke with Rob Francis about the European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, trade in medicines and medical products, how the Biden Administration is progressing on trade policy – and the World Trade Organization in all this.
WTO Corner: Fish subsidies move to end game, IP waiver negotiations now weekly
Chris Horseman and Robert Francis on the latest developments in the two critical negotiations at the WTO on fisheries subsidies and on intellectual property. Plans for revised compromise text as WTO fish talks enter end-game A fresh revised text of the planned WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies is expected to …
TRIPS waiver: WTO members move to text-based negotiations
World Trade Organization members today agreed to move to text-based negotiations on two proposals to speed up the supply of vaccines and COVID-19-related medical equipment around the world.