- The scheme is still available but needs to be sanctioned by the WTO Trips Council by the year-end.
- The waiver would last for many years if accepted from the decision of the General Council.
THD NewsDesk, NEW DELHI: The US, European Union, the UK, Switzerland, and Brazil have not verified India and South Africa’s scheme at the World Trade Organisation for a provisional waiver of intellectual property rights to discuss drug and other points associated with COVID-19.
Other developing countries like China, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Turkey have supported the scheme. The scheme is still available but needs to be sanctioned by the WTO Trips Council by the year-end.
The agency tweeted, “WHO welcomes South Africa’s and India’s recent proposal to WTO to ease international and intellectual property agreements on COVID-19 vaccinations and tests in order to make the tools available to all who need them at an affordable cost.”
India and South Africa, supported by Kenya, had proposed to the General Council that the scheme should be approved “as early as possible” but, the developed countries inquired its congruity and value.
As the proposal manifested, the waiver would last for many years if accepted from the General Council’s decision. It would stick to it until vaccination is distributed globally, and most of the masses had developed an immunity. South Africa implored Trips Council that all the WTO members should work collectively to guarantee that patents, industrial designs, copyright, and security of confidential information should not be an obstacle to the availability of affordable medical products significant to battle COVID-19.
India stated that new diagnostics and developing therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19 are in progress. Their accessibility, prompt availability in fair quantity, and nominal rates to meet a worldwide demand are vital concerns. The Indian Delegation stated, “Critical shortages in medical products have also put at grave risk patients suffering from other communicable and non-communicable diseases.”
Additionally, India specified many countries might suffer from institutional and statutory difficulties when utilizing flexibilities accessible under the TRIPS agreement.
