The WTO vaccine equity event showed potential for spare manufacturing capacity and the willingness to finance it. But will this be followed up voluntary technology transfer to address production shortages, or will this be left to the discretion of bilateral deals decided by manufacturers? And was this event meant to draw attention away from the TRIPS waiver talks now reaching a critical stage?
There are emerging convergences between the WTO and WHO, on the approaches towards bilateral technology transfer to spur the production of vaccines. This will inevitably have repercussions for the TRIPS waiver proposal.
While it is not clear yet which way discussions on the TRIPS waiver will go, there is an emerging shift within the support base of the proposal even as opponents gather to buy time to stall any meaningful progress towards negotiating on the text of the proposal.
This story looks at what the vaccine equity event at WTO might mean for the wider efforts to address the pandemic including the dynamics shaping the discussions on the TRIPS waiver proposal.
Image credit: Photo by Mark Arron Smith from Pexels
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