Trade : New revised draft "TRIPS COVID-19" text fraught with obstacles (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The ongoing negotiations on the draft "TR IPS COVID-19" text circulated by the World Trade Organization's Director-Genera l, Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have brought about substantial textual changes, aft er members added language on all the paragraphs that seems to be fraught with obstacles, said people familiar with the development.

Trade : Battle-lines drawn on WTO response to pandemic (PRIV)
(TWN, Geneva)
The discussions on the controversial "TRIPS COVID-19" draft text proposed by the World Trade Organization's Director-General, Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, came under intense scrutiny on 19 May after the African Group apparently pushed back against several paragrap hs in the text, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland appeared to play "hard-b all" by providing several textual amendments that further made the decision unworkable, said people familiar with the development.

WHO : EU says "no" to equity in health emergencies in WGPR recommendations (PRIV)
(TWN, Geneva)
The European Union has said "no" to expanding the scope of equity-related measures to "health emergencies" and insisted to li mit it to "pandemics" as part of the recommendations of the Member States Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (WGPR).