More than 600 civil society organisations from 90 countries sent an open letter to their governments to restrict and suspend the use of investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS). ISDS could be used by corporations to claim billions in public money from government measures responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, in turn threatening affordable access to treatments and tests.

An Open Letter to Trade Ministries and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Stop all trade and investment treaty negotiations during the COVID-19 outbreak and refocus on access to medical supplies and saving lives.

In a letter to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa published today, the Fix the Patent Laws (FTPL) coalition outlined major concerns about the country's ability to access future treatments or vaccines for COVID-19. They point out that the country’s outdated patent laws ensure that when effective treatments become available, they will likely be too expensive and remain inaccessible to those in need.

86 civil society organisations wrote an open letter to Unitaid, WHO and its Member States asking for concrete binding commitments to ensure that there will be equitable access and sharing of technology, knowledge and data, and management and licensing of intellectual property for medical tools needed for COVID-19 detection, prevention and treatment.

Over 250 groups demand governments and manufacturers adopt critical principles to ensure timely access to tests, treatments and vaccines.

More than 250 civil society organisations sent an open letter to WTO and its member countries calling on them to revisit the rules being negotiated in trade agreements, including those that can encourage monopolies and reduce affordable access to all forms of medical supplies. 

Over 25 years ago, a number of  countries decided to opt out of a WTO mechanism that allowed them to import drugs, vaccines or diagnostic tests made under compulsory license*. In the face of the overwhelming medical needs thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic, we now join others to call for governments to revoke this decision.

51 groups warn pharmaceutical corporation Gilead against profiteering off the pandemic.