Statement by Minister Ng on intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines

May 7, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, issued the following statement:

“The Government of Canada remains committed to working with all international partners to reach a rapid and just end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our government firmly believes in the importance of protecting IP, and recognizes the integral role that industry has played in innovating to develop and deliver life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.

“Canada is ready to discuss proposals on a waiver for intellectual property (IP) protection, in particular for COVID-19 vaccines, under the WTO Agreement on TRIPS.

 “Since the introduction of the IP waiver proposal, Canada has actively worked with partners to identify barriers to vaccine access—many of which are unrelated to IP, such as supply chain constraints.

“We remain committed to finding solutions and reaching an agreement that accelerates global vaccine production and does not negatively impact public health.

“Canada has always been, and remains, a strong advocate for equitable access to vaccines and medical supplies around the world through our support for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and the COVAX Facility. To date, we have announced $940 million to support low- and middle-income countries to access COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments because we understand that the pandemic isn’t over anywhere, until it is over everywhere.”