Vaccine syringes (Credit: Pixabay/k-e-k-u-l-é)

Trade talks set a dangerous precedent. All eyes were on the WTO, in Geneva, in June 2022, when ministers congregated to discuss trade issues. Among the items that were on the agenda was the intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. The negotiations went on for days and finally, as the sun rose over Lake Leman, on 17 June 2022, a deal was finalised with limited waiver on Covid-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, civil society organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Oxfam International, have been vocal against the deal. MSF’s Dr Yuanqiong Hu told us why they are against the newly-concluded trade deal.

Around eight percent of the 12.1bn vaccines rolled out to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic have likely ended up in the bin unused, according to the global health surveillance firm Airfinity. Uneven distribution and storage issues are some of the contributing factors to what is an inevitable loss of a part of such a large scale vaccine operation. While the numbers are in line with GAVI’s projections that up to 10 per cent of jabs could go to waste, the authors stress the need to monitor wastage levels to improve efficiency in the future.

'Accountability for human rights atrocities, starts with addressing the legacy of the past'. The quest for accountability for gross human rights violations and abuses including torture, rape and killings, are among the most complex and sensitive issues facing conflict-affected societies, says Rita French, Britain’s ambassador for human rights, writing for Geneva Solutions. Tragically, truth, justice and accountability takes years, often decades, to achieve. But it is only through addressing the legacy of past atrocities and ending impunity that communities can gain closure and truly move forward.