FMG & PEG brainstorming on Trade and Health

On May 11^th 2021, Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) and The Punta del Este Group (PEG) co-organized an online brainstorming on Trade and Health.

This session was based on following papers:

• Proposal by South Africa and India (Waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19)
• Proposal by Ottawa Group (“Covid-19 and Beyond: Trade and Health”)
• Chad Bownfrom PIIE (Here’s how to get billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world | PIIE)
• Simon Evenettfrom FMG (“The Covid-19 Vaccine Production Club: Will Value Chains Temper Nationalism?”) (A World Bank Policy Research Working Paper (globaltradealert.org))

Chad Bown, senior fellow of PIIE shared his insights regarding COVID-19 vaccine and global trade. FMG member Simon Evenett made comments as discussant. Patrick Low, Co-Chair of FMG Board moderated this session.

About 30 participants joined the brainstorming, including members of FMG, Friends of FMG and Punta del Este Group (PEG), Ambassadors of WTO members, and representatives from related international organizations.

Annex:

Confirmed Participants

1.FMG/FFMG/PEG members

Daniel CROSBY, FMG

Simon EVENETT, FMG

Anabel GONZALEZ, FMG

Stuart HARBINSON, FMG

Bernard HOEKMAN, FMG

Alejandro JARA, FMG/PEG

Patrick LOW, FMG

Xiankun LU, FMG

Hector TORRES, FMG/PEG

Thu-lang TRAN WASESCHA, FMG

Sean DOHERTY, FFMG

2.WTO Missions

Argentina: H.E. Federico VILLEGAS, Ambassador

EU: H.E. João Aguiar MACHADO, Ambassador

Mexico: H.E. Ángel VILLALOBOS RODRÍGUEZ, Ambassador

Norway: H.E. Mr. Dagfinn SØRLI, Ambassador

Sweden: H.E. Mikael ANZÉN, Ambassador

EU: Hiddo HOUBEN, DPR

Netherlands: Marcel VERNOOIJ, DPR

Mexico: Ismael ORTIZ FERNÁNDEZ, DPR

Finland: Anna VITIE, DPR

3.Other Stakeholders

Olaf WIENTZEK, KAS

Mia MIKIC, United Nations ESCAP