<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><b class=""><i class="">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.</i></b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div>For Immediate Release<div class="">Contact: Arthur Stamoulis, (202) 494-8826 or <a href="mailto:arthur@citizenstrade.org" class="">arthur@citizenstrade.org</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><font size="4" class=""><span class=""><b class="">Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"</b></span></font></div><div class=""><div class="">Statement by Arthur Stamoulis, Executive Director, Citizens Trade Campaign</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Washington, DC — In response to<b class=""> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/u-s-to-back-waiver-of-vaccine-ip-protections-at-wto-tai-says" class="">news that the United States is reversing its opposition rof a waiver</a></b> 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 <a href="https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/COVIDTRIPSWaiverSignOnLetter_022621.pdf" class=""><b class="">helped organize a 431-group letter in support of the waiver</b></a> earlier this year, released the following statement by its executive director, Arthur Stamoulis:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><blockquote class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><div class="">"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. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">"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.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">“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."</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></blockquote><div class=""><div class="">###</div></div><br class=""><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826</div><br class=""><br class=""><div class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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