Decision by United States Can Increase Supply to COVAX Facility, Secretary-General Says, Welcoming ‘Unprecedented’ Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the United States Government’s unprecedented support for the waiver of intellectual property protections regarding COVID-19 vaccines, announced yesterday.

It opens the opportunity for vaccine producers to share the knowledge and technology that will allow the effective expansion of locally produced vaccines and can significantly increase the supply to the COVAX facility.  We must also ensure that countries have the materials required to produce these vaccines.

We are all agreed:  none of us will be safe from the virus until all of us are safe.