[CTC] Pls sign letter rejecting leaked WTO COVID text & demanding a TRIPS waiver

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Please add your organization to this important letter & help spread the word.  Thanks!  —Arthur


Begin forwarded message:

From: Melanie Foley <mfoley at citizen.org>
Subject: RE: Pls sign US letter rejecting leaked text, demanding true TRIPS waiver
Date: April 25, 2022 at 11:43:55 AM EDT
To: "arthur at citizenstrade.org"

Hello all, 
 
Please add your organization to this urgent sign-on letter <https://bit.ly/TRIPSletter> to the Biden administration urging them to reject the terrible leaked WTO text on COVID and to push for a comprehensive TRIPS waiver to expand global production of life-saving vaccines, tests and treatments.
 
The letter is below and at this sign-up form: bit.ly/TRIPSletter <https://bit.ly/TRIPSletter>
 
It is critical that we have a unified U.S. civil society condemnation of this text. This letter details the failings of the leaked text and makes clear what must change to secure a meaningful TRIPS waiver. Please sign on and share with your networks!
 
The deadline to sign is Monday, May 2, as we are planning to release the letter ahead of the May 5 anniversary of the administration’s announcement of support for the TRIPS waiver.
 
Many thanks to the group that drafted this letter, which included representatives from Oxfam, MSF/ Doctors Without Borders, Health GAP, Rethink Trade, Citizens Trade Campaign/ Trade Justice Education Fund, and Public Citizen. (For more background on the leaked text, see this compilation <https://www.citizen.org/article/leaked-wto-proposal-is-not-the-covid-19-medicines-waiver-we-need/> of civil society and expert critiques.)
 
Thanks,
Melanie Foley (she/her)
International Campaigns Director
Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
(202) 454-5153 | mfoley at citizen.org <mailto:mfoley at citizen.org>
Website <https://www.citizen.org/our-work/globalization-and-trade> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GlobalTradeWatch> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/PCGTW>
 
Text of the letter:

Dear Ambassador Tai,

The undersigned U.S. health, labor, human rights, consumer and faith organizations write to express our deep concern with the text leaked on March 15, 2022, that has reportedly been put forward as an alternative to the proposed waiver of World Trade Organization (WTO) intellectual property (IP) barriers for COVID-19 medical tools. We urge the U.S. and other WTO Member States to reject this leaked text and negotiate a true TRIPS waiver instead. 

Americans and people around the world continue to suffer not only preventable deaths and long-term health consequences, but also disruptions to economic activity and global supply chains, along with the perpetual threat of deadlier or more disruptive variants. 

We need every possible tool to overcome barriers and improve equitable access to COVID-19 medical products. A year and a half ago, India and South Africa first introduced a proposal that has since earned the support of more than 100 countries, including 63 formal cosponsors, to actually suspend the TRIPS Agreement’s barriers to equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests. That proposal should be the starting point for negotiations at the WTO. 

In contrast, the leaked text would not suffice to improve access to lifesaving COVID-19 medical tools due to four key concerns: 

Does not waive IP barriers: The leaked text does not waive patent obligations and leaves in place WTO-imposed IP barriers related to trade secrets and undisclosed information that can impede the expansion of vaccine production.
 
Exclusion of tests and treatments: The leaked text only covers vaccines, excluding tests and new treatment options that represent crucial lifesaving tools especially given waning vaccine immunity and the continuous high rate of infections and reinfections. As President Biden himself has said that testing and treatments are critical at this stage of the pandemic, it is time for the U.S. to support inclusion of all COVID medical tools in a comprehensive waiver.
 
Exclusion of some countries: The eligibility criteria in the leaked text are not fit for the purpose of addressing a global public health crisis like COVID-19. They are a major step backward and undermine global efforts to effectively scale up production and distribution of COVID-19 medical tools. 
 
Introduction of new “TRIPS-plus” burdens: The text leaked on March 15 restates existing WTO rules and “flexibilities” that have thus far failed to improve access to COVID-19 medical tools while introducing unnecessary new burdens on eligible Member States seeking to use these flexibilities. This includes impractical new requirements to identify all “necessary” patents and excessive WTO notification requirements for the issuance of a compulsory license. Any introduction of new TRIPS-plus measures is inappropriate for a mechanism designed to ease the process of improving supply and access to medical tools in a public health crisis.

WTO Member States should refuse any final text that does not address these four key elements and should urgently deliver a waiver that can help ensure that all countries are equipped with the tools needed to save lives and bring the pandemic under control.

Sincerely,
 
**Sign on at bit.ly/TRIPSletter <https://bit.ly/TRIPSletter>**

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20220425/889eca8b/attachment.html>