UN Chief Extends Support To India's Patent Waiver Initiative For Covid Products

India has worked with South Africa and other partners at the WTO to seek a relaxation in the norms of the TRIPS agreement to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has extended support to India and South Africa's initiative at the WTO to waive intellectual property protection for COVID-19 vaccines and products, though he cautioned that "technology transfer" must be backed up by "technical support". India has worked with South Africa and other partners at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to seek a relaxation in the norms of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Well, my belief is that we need to have a comprehensive programme. One is, of course, to address the problems of intellectual property and I support the initiative that was taken by South Africa and by India in relation to TRIPS, waving TRIPS regulations in the context of the World Trade Organization," Guterres said during a press conference at the G7 Summit in London on Friday. Guterres was responding on whether he supports the moves to waive patents related to COVID-19 vaccines.