India has sought support from Switzerland for a proposal seeking waiver from obligations of countries to implement provisions of the global intellectual property rights agreement for easy and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
The matter came up at a virtual meeting between commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, and Guy Parmelin, Vice-President of the Swiss Federal Council and Head, Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research.
India and South Africa have sought a temporary waiver of TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) obligations to ensure unimpeded and timely access to affordable medicines and medical products amid the ongoing pandemic.
The proposal, made at the World Trade Organization, seeks exemption from a clause that poses challenges for countries with limited manufacturing capacity in accessing medical supplies including diagnostic kits, vaccines, medicines, personal protective equipment ..
