Canada welcomes the Biden administration's support for waiving intellectual property protections for coronavirus vaccines due to the global emergency triggered by the pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday
TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2021) Canada welcomes the Biden administration's support for waiving intellectual property protections for coronavirus vaccines due to the global emergency triggered by the pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
"We welcome the shift in position the United States has brought," Trudeau told reporters.
However, the Prime Minister sidestepped questions about the Canadian government's stance on the issue, only saying that Canada is not interfering or blocking the push to waive vaccine patents.
Trudeau's reluctance to publicly state his government's position regarding the international push is drawing criticism from opposition parties and even some members of his own Liberal caucus.
"It's astonishing to me that the President of the United States, usually a government that is a champion of the hegemony of things like TRIPS rules, be ahead of us," Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said during a virtual press briefing on Friday, which also featured New Democrat Don Davies, Bloc Quebecois Member of Parliament Luc Theriault and Liberal Marcus Powlowski.
TRIPS refers to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
"We are dragging our feet... I hope that within hours, the Canadian government will agree that it's time to suspend TRIPS rules, temporarily, in light of this pandemic crisis," May said.
Some countries, including India and South Africa, have urged World Trade Organization members to waive certain TRIPS provisions.
On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would back the proposal to waive intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines. China also expressed willingness to back the patent waiver.
