- No progress has been made on the decision to extend the waiver of part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on Trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, despite the looming deadline.
- As it stands, the waiver only covers COVID-19 vaccines; however, the move has been criticised by campaigners.
- At the meeting on Wednesday (2 November), the chair of the Council, Ambassador Lansana Gberie from Sierra Leone, reportedly expressed concern over the lack of written proposals for a TRIPS Council decision as the 17 December deadline is now only six weeks away.
Discussions for waiver on COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics at standstill
