I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 69 and 76 together.
Universal and equitable access to safe, effective and affordable vaccines is crucial in the global fight against COVID-19.
The WTO Ministerial Conference concluded on 17 June with Ministers agreeing an outcome in relation to the production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines. The ‘Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement’ provides for a waiver
of certain obligations of the TRIPS Agreement and includes a number of clarifications that will allow eligible WTO Members to authorise a company to manufacture and export COVID-19 vaccines in a fast and simplified manner and without the consent of the patent owner, for example by an executive order or emergency decree.
Moreover, the Ministerial Decision clarifies that the remuneration payable to patent owners must take account of the humanitarian or not-for-profit purpose of production, thereby supporting the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines at affordable prices to those in need.
Fundamentally, the waiver will simplify to the maximum, the process to export vaccines and their ingredients to other developing countries and enable countries in a continent like Africa to scale up their production capacity and supply vaccines to other countries. It will also support the establishment of manufacturing hubs that rely on supply chains in multiple countries.
This outcome will
allow developing countries to benefit from the innovation that the system sustains, in an environment that incentivises investments, research and transfer of technology, that the international community should make to boost capacity and diversification in the production of vaccines, and pharmaceutical products more broadly, throughout the world.
While the Ministerial Decision is applicable to the production and export of COVID-19 vaccines, WTO Members are expected to decide, no later than December 2022, on whether to extend the waiver to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. Ireland will continue to fully engage constructively with the European Commission and other Member States on the EU position regarding this matter.
To date, over 1.7 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered via the COVAX facility to 146 countries and territories .
Ireland has committed to donating up to 5 million doses largely via COVAX. Over 2 million doses have already been delivered to recipient countries including to Uganda, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ghana and Burkina Faso and Sudan. In addition, Ireland has also committed €13.5mn in financing to the COVAX facility to facilitate the purchase of vaccines by low and lower middle-income countries and to cover the transport and insurance costs associated with donations.