Dear Readers,
At Geneva Health Files, we continue to curate and craft the stories buried in the details of intense, complex negotiations in Geneva's web of global institutions.
Today, we bring you a wrap of our exclusive stories featured in the Friday Deep Dives in August.
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Priti
MONTHLY ROUNDUP: AUGUST 2021
1. August 6th: Where does India truly stand on the TRIPS Waiver: Q&A with Murali Neelakantan
India has played a crucial role in supporting South Africa, as a lead co-sponsor in bringing the TRIPS Waiver proposal to the WTO in October 2020. In the months since, more than 60 other WTO members have formally supported the proposal - a bold initiative that seeks to temporarily suspend a range of intellectual property protections in order to decisively respond to the pandemic by seeking to unblock production shortages for critical COVID-19 medical products.
As these discussions reach a critical juncture ahead of the WTO ministerial in November this year, concerns have been expressed on India’s commitment to the waiver proposal. Perplexing as it may sound, it is easy to see why. Look no further than Indian government’s stated policy announcements on these matters at home in the context of the pandemic, notwithstanding its leadership on the waiver proposal in Geneva.
To understand this complex, discordant position, we spoke with Murali Neelakantan, Principal Lawyer, amicus. Former Global General Counsel, Cipla, who has been familiar with the terrain of IP policy and politics in India.
2. August 13th: Understanding Germany’s Trenchant Opposition To the TRIPS Waiver (By Rithika Sangameshwaran)
In January 2021, Achim Kessler, member of the Left Party of Germany (known as Die Linke) co-submitted a motion in the Bundestag (Parliament). It called on the German Federal Government to support the TRIPS waiver. After months of deliberation, the motion was rejected in May 2021, with majority members voting against it. While they unanimously agreed that more needed to be done to increase global vaccine production, just like at the WTO, they differed on ways to achieve it.
3. August 20th: Guest Essay: "Do We Really Need a Pandemic Treaty?"
The Member-State Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (the working group) met during the 15th and 16th of July 2021 and adopted its method of work. The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) decision has mandated the Working Group to prioritize the assessment of the benefits of developing a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response, and report to the Special Session of the WHA to be held from 29 November to 1st December 2021. The Working Group is expected to start its work on this prioritised agenda.
However, there are many unanswered questions, which were left out by the proponents of the treaty during their well-choreographed campaign for a new pandemic treaty. This article brings attention to a few key questions to be considered before taking any endorsement for a new treaty to govern pandemic.
4. August 27th: The U.S. hopes to reshape post-pandemic governance with a "Global Health Threats Fund"
The U.S. government is seeking to play a key role in the establishment of a Global Health Threats Fund, a new proposed structure envisaged to be under the aegis of the World Bank. This could potentially upend parallel discussions on a pandemic treaty and eventually impact WHO’s role to meaningfully address future pandemics, sources familiar with recent discussions say.
The Global Health Threats Fund and a Board, were recommendations made by the G20 Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Financing. (Separately, the Independent Panel of Pandemic Preparedness and Response had suggested a Global Health Threats Council.)