PM likely to advocate TRIPS waiver for Covid-19 vaccines at G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will represent India at the G20 Summit on October 30-31, is likely to initiate a discussion on India and South Africa’s long-pending proposal for an intellectual property rights waiver for Covid-19 vaccines and medical supplies in the light of extensive vaccination being recognised as a global public good by G20 countries.

“As G20 countries will be discussing global recovery from the pandemic and it has already been recognised by members that vaccination is a global public good, India is likely to make a renewed push for its proposal for a temporary waiver of TRIPS norms for vaccines and medications,” a source tracking the matter said.

India has advocated for technology transfer and diversification of supply chains and production hubs to ensure affordable and equitable access to Covid-19 disease control tools, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a media briefing on Thursday. “I'm happy to share that the G20 has recognised extensive vaccination as a global public good….And I think that is where a discussion in the G20 will be relevant,” he said.

On October 2, 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal at the WTO, suggesting a waiver for all WTO members on the implementation of certain provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement for Covid-19 related vaccines and medical products.

While the proposal has been co-sponsored by more than 62 countries, some developed nations are not yet willing to suspend IPs, despite the fact that it would only be for a limited period.

Waiver issue

The PM is likely to raise the issue of TRIPS waiver at the session on ‘Global Economy, Global Health’ scheduled on October 30. The two other sessions on ‘Climate Change and Environment’ and ‘Sustainable Development’ will be on October 31.

Modi will be calling on Pope Francis at the Vatican, and will be meeting several other world leaders bilaterally and also at rountable interactions.

After the G20 meet, the PM will go to Glasgow where he will deliver the national statement at the World Leaders’ Summit on November 1. Modi will participate in leader’s level events organised with the COP26 presidency around the themes of climate change, mitigation, adaptation and building resilience, clean technology, innovation and deployment.