By: Ivanine Silva
The leaders of the member countries of the G20, an organization that brings together the 20 largest economies in the world, meet today, Friday, May 21, in Rome, Italy, where they are expected to coordinate actions to combat the covid-19 pandemic.
At this year’s Global Health Summit 2021, according to official information, leaders are expected to demand the waiver of intellectual property rights and pressure pharmaceutical companies to share life-saving technology.
The United States of America joined India, South Africa and several other developing countries in calling for a temporary waiver of patents for Covid-19 vaccines, in the hope that this would increase production and allow for a fairer distribution of vaccines around the world.
In October 2020, India and South Africa requested a waiver that would allow countries not to grant or enforce patents and other specific intellectual property rights related to Covid-19 products until global herd immunity is achieved.
A significant number of low- and middle-income countries supported this proposal. Most high-income countries, including the EU and its member states, were opposed. Remember that these are all members of the World Trade Organization.
The president of Russia and acting president of the G20, Vladmir Putin will be largely absent from the meeting, according to the Kremlin to the Russian press, as he is participating in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
The G20 includes: the European Union (EU), United States of America, Russia, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Poland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, South Africa, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil , Australia, Canada, Italy and Turkey.