TWN Info Service on Intellectual Property Issues (May21/01)
1 May 2021
Third World Network

Dear All,

At the beginning of the pandemic, many promises of “global public good” and “international solidarity” were made. Yet one year on, there is vast disparity in access to COVID-19 medical products between the high-income countries and low-middle-income countries. The high income countries are vaccinating about 25 times faster than those with the lowest income. The current system of production and supply is built on monopolies and control over technology and knowledge, and is failing to mobilise global production capacity. COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis and market-based approaches have been unsuccessful in effectively responding to the pandemic, including ensuring equitable and affordable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

The High-Level Dialogue will discuss the TRIPS Waiver proposal co-sponsored by 60 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), its motivations, status of discussions at the WTO and will unpack the opposition the proposal faces in the WTO from a handful of developed countries. (see the Poster for the High Level Dialogue)

Moderator: Priti Patnaik, the Founding Editor of Geneva Health Files
Panellists:

• Ruth Dreifuss, Former President of Switzerland, Chair of WHO’s Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH) & co-chair on the UNSG’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines
• Jan Schakowsky, Congresswoman 9th District Illinois, United States
• Kathleen Van Brempt, Belgian member of the European Parliament for Vooruit and trade coordinator for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D) in the European Parliament
• Kátia Regina de Abreu, President of the Senate Foreign Affairs Commission, Brazil and former Minister of Agriculture
• Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, South Africa
• Brajendra Navnit, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, India
• Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

The High Level Dialogue will take place on 4 May 2021 at 3.30pm -4.45pm CEST. You may check your time zone here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg
=TRIPS+Waiver%3A+If+Not+Now%2C+Then+When%3F&iso=20210504T1530
&p1=87&ah=1&am=15

To participate Register in advance at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AtBSEHw5QbKeDyixU9hJeg