India pitches for special WTO meet to expand scope of Covid IP waiver

India has pitched for a special meeting of the General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO), before the one scheduled in December, for extending the scope of the Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver to diagnostics and therapeutics.

At a recent meeting of the General Council, New Delhi said it is not able to continue discussions at the TRIPS Council due to "hesitation from the institution" and expects things to resume in September after the WTO's summer break.

The 164-member WTO had in its 12th ministerial conference in June decided to expand the intellectual property rights waiver to therapeutics and diagnostics within six months, which would end in December.


Insisting that these are essential aspects of controlling and managing Covid-19, India said: "And even while working towards the October General Council, if we are unable to finalise this, we can have a specia