115 Faith-Based Organizations Call on World Trade Organization Member Countries to Enact Waiver of Intellectual Property Barriers and Increase Global Access to Vaccines Before End of Year
Virtual Press Conference on WTO TRIPS Waiver with Faith Leaders
MEDIA ADVISORY: December 10, 2021
Contact: Colleen Ross | cross@networklobby.org | 202-601-7877
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leaders from the global faith community will release a letter signed by 115 organizations, representing five world faith traditions, calling on World Trade Organization member countries to act before year’s end to waive Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights rules. The faith community will spotlight the moral necessity of increasing access to COVID vaccines and treatments.
Countries instituting discriminatory travel bans that harm the people and economies of low and middle-income countries will not end the COVID-19 pandemic. Only increased global access to vaccines can. The rising COVID-19 Omicron variant illustrates that COVID-19 cannot be defeated until people on every continent are vaccinated, ending racial and economic health disparities. Read the text of the letter here.
WHO: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President, Sojourners
Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, Senior Associate for Pan-African and Orthodox Church Engagement, Bread for the World
Fr. Charles Chilufya, S.J., Director, Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa
Dr. Pauline Muchina, Education and Advocacy Coordinator, Africa Region, American Friends Service Committee
Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace
Imam Saffet Catovic, Program Manager, Islamic Society of North America
Huma Ikramullah, Secretary General, Religions for Peace – Pakistan
Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch
WHAT: Virtual Press Conference
WHEN: Monday, December 11, 2021
12:00 Noon Eastern / 9:00 AM Pacific
WHERE: Zoom – Register Here. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4q5XZhPaQZO0_yAz_t9AjQ
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