Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) calls the WTO’s inability to agree on a TRIPS waiver a devastating global failure.
“We are disappointed that a true intellectual property waiver, proposed in October 2020 covering all COVID-19 medical tools and including all countries, could not be agreed, even during a pandemic that has claimed more than 15 million people’s lives.” -- Dr. Christos Christou, International President of MSF
The World Trade Organiazation (WTO) concluded the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva on June 17 with agreements on a number of issues, among them a response to emergencies, including a waiver of certain requirements concerning compulsory licensing for COVID-19 vaccines. However, this agreement falls far short of the comprehensive TRIPS waiver proposed in 2020 by India and South Africa. Click here to read the full response from Dr. Christos Christou of Médecins sans Frontières.
The Canadian government’s continued reluctance to support the proposed TRIPS waiver at the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a stain on Canada’s reputation as a nation that demands fairness on the global stage. A group of prominent Canadians and global health experts are speaking out against what they see as Canada’s unwillingness to go against Big Pharma in order to improve vaccine access in poorer nations.
Will Canada finally step up for global vaccine justice during the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference taking place in Geneva this coming week? Click here to read more.
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced it will supply its current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis to the world’s poorest countries, as part of a new initiative announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. This new commitment, “An Accord for a Healthier World”, focuses on five areas: infectious diseases, cancer, inflammation, rare diseases and women’s health. Click here to learn more.
It is one of the tragedies of the climate crisis that those countries that are the least responsible for creating the crisis are suffering the most from its effects. To address this injustice, high income nations, including Canada, promised to collectively mobilize $100 billion US annually beginning in 2020. This goal has not yet been met. There are three areas where high-income countries need to "try harder”: living up to their $100B per year commitment, focussing more on climate adaptation and allocating a higher percentage to grants rather than loans. To read more, click here.
"Endemic is the word for a pandemic in places that people in power can ignore. ... If the grotesque combination of corporate greed, government inaction and global underfunding that perpetuates all plagues continues unchecked, endemicity is certain, and its burdens will be borne by people who are poor, Black, brown, LGBTQ and, often, women." -- Emily Bass, AIDS activist and journalist
Click here to read Emily Bass's insightful and troubling opinion piece in the Globe and Mail, If COVID-19 Becomes Endemic, Women Will Bear the Burden.
The Grandmother’s Advocacy Network, alongside its partners in the Canadian International Education Policy Working Group (CIEPWG), welcomes the release of the outcome document launched at the Together For Learning Summit: Engaging Displaced Youth to Transform Education which took place on March 30 and 31, 2022. The outcome document responds directly to the needs and recommendations of refugee and displaced youth themselves. Canada is leading the way toward elevating the lived experiences of children and youth directly affected by conflict and crisis and meaningfully integrating their perspectives into the decisions that affect their lives. Click here to learn more.
Learn about the 3rd African Girls’ Summit where more than 100 young adolescent girls and stakeholders gathered for frank discussions around the theme: Culture, Human Rights and Accountability – Accelerating Elimination of Harmful Practices. Discussion topics included child marriage, teenage pregnancy, female genital mutilation, sexual abuse and human trafficking, how self-esteem issues hinder the pursuit of STEM education and TVET (technical education and vocational training), male-dominated jobs, and more. In particular, the summit focused on the issue of gender equality in education. Click here to learn more and to read the Call to Action that came out of the Summit.
ONE Campaign offers a sobering analysis of the implications for Africa of Russia’s war on Ukraine. From food and oil prices to refugees, racial bias, and diverted attention of leaders, the effects will ripple across African countries. Click here to find out more.
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias
For six ‘missions’ that International Women's Day has identified to help forge a gender equal world click here.
Apr 25, 2024
Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria kills nearly half a million people and infects over 200 million worldwide every year – 70 per cent of whom are children under five years old. ... Read more
Apr 22, 2024
"ReconAfrica's oil exploration activities have damaged homes, devastated subsistence crops, and destroyed land, illegally and without the consent of local Indigenous communities. They’ve demonstrated... Read more
Apr 19, 2024
Tuesday’s federal Budget contained a modest increase to Canada’s investment in humanitarian assistance. This was welcomed by Canadian civil society organizations, and was especially good to see,... Read more