October 28, 2021: Ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit this week in Rome, trade union leaders from G20 countries, representing millions of workers worldwide, have made a joint statement through the Labour 20 (L20) Summit calling on G20 governments to support the TRIPS waiver proposal
In the lead-up to crucial negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in November and December, The People’s Vaccine have released a viral video calling on political leaders to take action for global vaccine equity.
October 25, 2021: Despite acknowledging many of our criticisms of the RCEP, the Labor Opposition voted with the government for the RCEP enabling legislation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday October 20 and the Senate on Thursday October 22.
October 21, 2021: Last week’s meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council failed to decide on the temporary waiver on monopoly rights for COIVD-19 vaccines and related products, despite support from over 100 WTO member countries and numerous reports and protests urging it to do so.
October 19, 2021: Following today’s announcement from Madeleine King MP that Labor will support enabling legislation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), advocates have called on the Government and Opposition to publicly commit to re-examine the RCEP in the next term of Parliament amid fears that the trade deal may impede regulation for quality aged care and reduction of carbon emissions.
October 19: Ahead of this week’s crucial vote in Parliament on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) implementing legislation, AFTINET has urged parliamentarians to delay the vote to allow for amendments to be made to the text.
October 14: Coinciding with the WTO TRIPS Council meeting in Geneva this week, activists across Europe and the globe have mobilised to call on European countries to #StopTheBlock of a waiver on intellectual property monopolies on COVID vaccines.
October 13: Ahead of this week’s meeting of the WTO’s Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), Labor has called on the Government to co-sponsor a waiver on medical monopolies.
October 13, 2021: An investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) tribunal released its final decision on a 2018 case launched against the Republic of Colombia by Canadian mining giant Eco Oro Minerals under the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
October 11, 2021: Two major reports have exposed the failings of the current system of global vaccine production and distribution, recommending both increased emergency donations of vaccines and the temporary waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to enable production of cheap vaccines in low-income countries.