Unifor calls on government to support proposal to improve access to COVID-19 medicines under WTO rules

Share

The Honourable Mary Ng, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
@email

The Honourable  Marc Garneau, P.C., C.C., C.D., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
@email      

Dear Ministers,

Re: WTO proposal for waiver on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement to improve access to COVID-19 supports

I am writing you both to express Unifor’s strong recommendation that Canada officially support the proposal to improve access to COVID-19 medicines and health supports, under World Trade Organization rules.

As it stands, Canada has so far failed to support a special waiver under the WTO’s Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement tabled last fall by the governments of South Africa and India. The proposed waiver, if passed, would allow governments to bypass strict intellectual property requirements – including patent licensing, data protection and enforcement measures – related to a variety of critical COVID-19 related products, such as vaccines and medical equipment.  

Specifically, the waiver aims to ensure that: “intellectual property rights including such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products including vaccines and medicines or to scaling-up of research, development, manufacturing and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19.”

The viability of multilateralism hinges on the ability of all nations to collaborate and cooperate in ways that deliver the greatest benefit to humankind. There is no good reason why the rights of patent holders and profit-seekers, in the face of a devastating pandemic, could deny the rights of individuals to access life-saving medicines and the protection of public health. As you can both imagine, this disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Reports suggest that countries, representing one-fifth of the world, will have no access to vaccines until at least 2022. This is unacceptable.

Global support toward this special, temporary waiver is mounting. As many countries, including Canada, continue to wrestle with their own supply challenges, it is incumbent on every nation to see the swift eradication of the coronavirus, for the benefit of all people. This waiver is not the full solution, but it is a powerful step. Existing flexibilities provided under the Doha Declaration are insufficient, and can lead to years-long licensing disputes with patent holders.

As two of Canada’s most established political leaders, and global representatives, I urge you to seize this moment to take a positive, progressive and inclusive approach on this matter and support the proposed waiver. 

Sincerely,

Jerry Dias
National President