[CTC] Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"

[Deborah James]

Arthur, 

 

I would like to extend a humongous THANK YOU to all the CTC staff and activists who have been laboring so diligently on this for so many months. Thousands of lives will be saved every day that people around the world have access to vaccines. This includes people from countries around the world; people who are loved by their families and communities, and whose lives matter just as much as ours. And it also includes thousands of lives here in the United States, as we will be better able to prevent the hyper-infectious variants from massive circulation here at home. 

 

Millions of lives will be saved because of the efforts of the CTC activists, without which so many Democrats would not have signed the letter, and without which the Biden administration would not have made this decision, at least not at this time. 

 

You are all heroes. 

 

Of course, we will have a lot of hard work to do. We have to make sure that US support includes waiving IP on equipment & inputs needed for vaccines. And that it includes waiving IP on diagnostics and treatments, not just vaccines. And that it includes waiving IP on copyright on N95 masks, ventilators etc, which are all essential to end the pandemic. 

 

But advocacy work like this rarely ends in such a victory. I hope in the coming days we can connect the on-the-ground activists who have been laboring for this with some of the people whose lives and communities will be saved. 

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

 

Deborah

 

From: CTCField <ctcfield-bounces at lists.citizenstrade.org> on behalf of Arthur Stamoulis <arthur at citizenstrade.org>
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:37 PM
To: CTC Field <ctcfield at lists.citizenstrade.org>
Subject: [CTC] Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"

 

THANK YOU everyone who pushed for this waiver!  More work is needed to see it through, but today you achieved a massive victory for humanity.

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Arthur Stamoulis, (202) 494-8826 or arthur at citizenstrade.org

 

Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"

Statement by Arthur Stamoulis, Executive Director, Citizens Trade Campaign

 

Washington, DC — In response to news that the United States is reversing its opposition rof a waiver of intellectual property rules at the World Trade Organization so that COVID vaccines and treatments can be produced in as many places as possible as quickly as possible, Citizens Trade Campaign, which helped organize a 431-group letter in support of the waiver earlier this year, released the following statement by its executive director, Arthur Stamoulis:

 

"President Biden’s support for the TRIPS waiver is unquestionably the right thing to do for the world and the nation.  More work is needed to make sure the waiver moves forward as effectively as possible, but this has a real potential to help save lives, strengthen the economy, improve international relations and eventually end this awful pandemic.  

 

"As long as large populations anywhere have to wait to be vaccinated, not only will are their lives at risk, but we continue to risk a viral mutation that can evade current vaccines and start the pandemic all over again for everyone.  Our hope is that other opponents of the waiver quickly lift their blocks against it, and that speedy textual negotiations proceed to a final agreement that fully advances goal of the original proposal.  COVID vaccines were developed with broad public support, and everyone worldwide deserves access to them.

 

“President Biden’s willingness to support the waiver is a testament not only to his character, but to the excellent work of the hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals who urged this to happen."

 

###

 

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826

 

 


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