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Brics calls for equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccine
During the Brics Summit on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on the grouping to back the move by India and South Africa to secure exemption from intellectual property agreements for vaccines. The proposal is already facing opposition from developed countries, including the US and European Union member states.
Ahead of the World Trade Organization(WTO) taking up a proposal by India and South Africa to waive patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) grouping has said it will work for “fair, equitable and affordable” distribution of vaccines.
During the Brics Summit on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on the grouping to back the move by India and South Africa to secure exemption from intellectual property agreements for vaccines. The proposal is already facing opposition from developed countries, including the US and European Union member states.
The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council of the WTO is expected to the take up the proposal for patent protection waivers on Friday, people familiar with developments said on Wednesday.
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The Moscow Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the Brics Summit said the members of the grouping “will work to ensure that, when [the vaccine is] available, it is disseminated in a fair, equitable and affordable basis”. The declaration didn’t make any direct reference to the proposal by India and South Africa. The declaration recognised the importance of “extensive immunisation” in preventing, containing and stopping the transmission of the Coronavirus, and supported cooperative approaches to expedite research, development and production of vaccine and therapeutics.
Participating in an online discussion on Tuesday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India will do everything possible to make vaccines affordable and accessible to everyone.
Despite the currently strained India-China ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping too offered to work with India on vaccines during the Brics Summit. “Chinese companies are working with their Russian and Brazilian partners on phase-III clinical trials ... we are prepared to cooperate with South Africa and India as well,” he said.
