This briefing discusses the WTO’s role in a context of geopolitical tensions and global economic shifts. It also looks at efforts to overcome current challenges.

This briefing discusses the WTO’s role in a context of geopolitical tensions and global economic shifts. It also looks at efforts to overcome current challenges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which (a) industry bodies and (b) UK civil society organisations the Department for International Trade consulted with on the TRIPS waiver extension to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which (a) industry bodies and (b) UK civil society organisations the Department for International Trade consulted with on the TRIPS waiver extension to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department held discussions with international counterparts at the WTO Council meeting on 22 November 2022 on the extension of the TRIPS waiver to include covid-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department held discussions with international counterparts at the WTO Council meeting on 22 November 2022 on the extension of the TRIPS waiver to include covid-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on extending the TRIPS waiver to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on extending the TRIPS waiver to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the TRIPS waiver to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the TRIPS waiver to include COVID-19 tests and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of extending the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to cover covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests on global access to covid-19 vaccinations and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of extending the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to cover covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests on global access to covid-19 vaccinations and treatments.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) The Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (c) The Secretary for Health and Social Care and (d) her G7 counterparts on the potential...

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) The Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (c) The Secretary for Health and Social Care and (d) her G7 counterparts on the potential...

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what consultation her Department is holding on whether the TRIPS Agreement should be extended to cover covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what consultation her Department is holding on whether the TRIPS Agreement should be extended to cover covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of including (a) covid-19 treatments, and (b) diagnostics in the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights waiver negotiation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of including (a) covid-19 treatments, and (b) diagnostics in the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights waiver negotiation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Government's position on a TRIPS waiver at the World Health Organisation on the global distribution of vaccines.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Government's position on a TRIPS waiver at the World Health Organisation on the global distribution of vaccines.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment the Government has made of how the TRIPS outcome will help to achieve ensure the equitable distribution of second-generation vaccines across the world.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment the Government has made of how the TRIPS outcome will help to achieve ensure the equitable distribution of second-generation vaccines across the world.

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for putting his case forward, but I have been clear about the UK’s position.

The global vaccine roll-out is pivotal to ending the acute phase of the pandemic and transitioning to living with covid. The points that have been made about delivery and...

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for putting his case forward, but I have been clear about the UK’s position.

The global vaccine roll-out is pivotal to ending the acute phase of the pandemic and transitioning to living with covid. The points that have been made about delivery and...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered disparities in the global distribution of vaccines.

I submitted a request for this morning’s debate because I want to draw attention to the grotesque inequalities in the distribution of vaccines to tackle the covid crisis. When we convene for these debates, often it...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered disparities in the global distribution of vaccines.

I submitted a request for this morning’s debate because I want to draw attention to the grotesque inequalities in the distribution of vaccines to tackle the covid crisis. When we convene for these debates, often it...

I commend the right hon. Member for securing a debate on this issue, which has concerned me as well; indeed, it concerns us all across this House. Is he aware that Eswatini, a little country that borders Mozambique and South Africa and one of our Commonwealth family members, was hit...

I commend the right hon. Member for securing a debate on this issue, which has concerned me as well; indeed, it concerns us all across this House. Is he aware that Eswatini, a little country that borders Mozambique and South Africa and one of our Commonwealth family members, was hit...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and for his dogged pursuit of the issue in Parliament and with Ministers. There is an issue about the strength of the voices of individual Commonwealth countries, and a real concern about some not being listened to. As a result of that,...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and for his dogged pursuit of the issue in Parliament and with Ministers. There is an issue about the strength of the voices of individual Commonwealth countries, and a real concern about some not being listened to. As a result of that,...

I know how passionate the right hon. Gentleman is about the subject as he supported my Westminster Hall debate on global vaccine access. He is talking powerfully about coronavirus vaccines, but does he agree that there has been a loss of progress on vaccines more generally? A good example is...

I know how passionate the right hon. Gentleman is about the subject as he supported my Westminster Hall debate on global vaccine access. He is talking powerfully about coronavirus vaccines, but does he agree that there has been a loss of progress on vaccines more generally? A good example is...

There is a lesson I thought we had learned decades ago, which is that when we have viruses such as this, whether it is polio, covid or others, unless we treat the world, eventually we will become vulnerable again. That is exactly the experience we are going through now. Even...

There is a lesson I thought we had learned decades ago, which is that when we have viruses such as this, whether it is polio, covid or others, unless we treat the world, eventually we will become vulnerable again. That is exactly the experience we are going through now. Even...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his important contribution to the debate. On the one hand, the Government are currently negotiating a free trade agreement with India. On the other hand, they blocked the proposal from India and South Africa for a TRIPS waiver at the World...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his important contribution to the debate. On the one hand, the Government are currently negotiating a free trade agreement with India. On the other hand, they blocked the proposal from India and South Africa for a TRIPS waiver at the World...

The issue that my hon. Friend raises is something that we have raised before. I commend India and South Africa for the work they did in lobbying so hard to try to get international agreement on the

TRIPS waiver. We need to learn some lessons from this period, and one...

The issue that my hon. Friend raises is something that we have raised before. I commend India and South Africa for the work they did in lobbying so hard to try to get international agreement on the

TRIPS waiver. We need to learn some lessons from this period, and one...

It is a pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I am grateful to the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) for securing this debate and to all hon. Members who have contributed. I will try to respond to some of the right hon....

It is a pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I am grateful to the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) for securing this debate and to all hon. Members who have contributed. I will try to respond to some of the right hon....