Responding to the announcement that the US, France and Spain have all signalled their intention to support the TRIPS waiver, Amnesty International Campaigner Joel MacKay said:
“Amnesty remains deeply concerned and disappointed that Australia is one of the few countries that are continuing to block this proposal that would allow more countries to manufacture and distribute COVID-19 vaccines and health products.
“The Morrison Government should urgently cease its resistance to the TRIPS Waiver.
“The COVID-19 crisis in India that has led to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of new cases daily is exactly why the Waiver from Certain Provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is needed. Increased local vaccine production could have minimised the crisis that India is currently facing, and would definitely assist in its management.
“Australia remains one of the few countries actively blocking the waiver – Australia is being left behind and isolated on the global stage, and millions of people will pay the price with their lives unless we step up and support the waiver.”
