Responding to the announcement that the European Parliament has voted to back the TRIPS waiver, Amnesty International Campaigner Joel MacKay said:
‘This news from the European Parliament further isolates Australia as one of the few governments holding out on an important step towards equal access to vaccines.
“With the US and now Europe throwing their weight and influence behind the waiver, it’s increasingly difficult to understand the Morrison Government’s obstinance in the face of international support for the TRIPS waiver.
“The fact is that the TRIPs agreement is limiting the capacity for vaccine production, and leaving people suffering in India, Cambodia and other poorer nations. Supporting the waiver increases the chance of people being vaccinated quickly and that can only be a positive thing. It’s certainly the human-rights-based approach Amnesty International advocates.”
Today is also the WHO’s Global Health Summit, providing another opportunity to address the elephant in the room and tackle head on the importance of waiving intellectual property restrictions to end Covid-19.
“Today on the world stage, Scott Morrison and Greg Hunt should get with the majority of the world and back the TRIPS waiver, not doing so risks them being called out by the international community for blocking progress and for leaving people in developing countries behind.
“The only way to end the pandemic is to end it globally. It’s time for rich states and pharmaceutical companies to put people before profit.”
