Open Letter from Senators to Minister Ng Urges the Government to Support the TRIPS Waiver Initiative
In an initiative spearheaded by Senator Omidvar, members of the Senate of Canada urge the federal government to support the WTO proposal to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19.
May 10, 2021
The Honourable Mary Ng
Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
Dear Minister Ng,
We are writing to urge the Government of Canada to support the WTO proposal, initiated by South Africa and India, for a “Waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19.” By supporting this initiative, Canada will provide moral leadership at a time when the world needs it the most.
Over 100 countries have already supported the waiver, including our closest ally the United States. Also, citizens across the globe, including over one thousand Canadian medical students and supporters, have written and signed petitions supporting this action. The Government of Canada needs to hear these voices and provide leadership to make this initiative successful. This will go a long way towards ensuring that there is equal access to all medicines and vaccines to fight the pandemic.
Specifically, we request the following from the Government of Canada:
• Sign on to the proposal to waive obligations under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
• Endorse the COVID-19 technology access pool (CTAP), to hasten and scale-up manufacturing of medical supplies and remove access barriers to technology
• Use our diplomatic efforts to create global partnerships in supporting the TRIPS waiver and work to lift any global bans on the export of supplies and materials for vaccine production
The global pandemic is truly horrific and continues to have a devastating impact on people and countries across the globe. Cases continue to rise in many parts of the world leading to an ever-increasing death toll and the overwhelming of healthcare systems. If there is not equal access and distribution of vaccines and medical supplies, the pandemic will continue to impact all of us. No one country is spared until all countries are rid of COVID-19.
Should the Government of Canada support the TRIPS waiver initiative, it will send a strong signal of solidarity with global public health efforts and support the health and well-being of the most vulnerable.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Senator on behalf of and with:
The Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, Senator
The Honourable Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard, Senator
The Honourable Mary Coyle, Senator
The Honourable Colin Deacon, Senator
The Honourable Mobina S.B. Jaffer, Senator
The Honourable Stan Kutcher, Senator
The Honourable Sabi Marwah, Senator
The Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator
The Honourable, Marie-Françoise Mégie, Senator
The Honourable Rosemary Moodie, Senator
The Honourable Kim Pate, Senator
The Honourable Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, Senator
The Honourable Raymonde Saint-Germain, Senator