Canadian Jesuits International supports the current global campaign for a waiver from certain provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement around COVID-19 medical technologies so that vaccines can be made available to people in low- and middle-income countries.

Without the waiver, low- and middle-income countries don't have the ability to manufacture vaccines, and they will have to rely on pharmaceutical companies and wealthy countries for charity or go without access to lifesaving medicines and technology.

Make your voice heard!

Write to Prime Minister Trudeau (and your MP) and ask the Government of Canada to support the TRIPS waiver and to play its part in reimagining global governance that paves the way for a just future for all.

You can use the sample letter below, copy and paste it on an email, sign and send it to the Prime Minister (and your MP). Please make sure to copy the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Their emails are in the sample letter.

Webinar recording: Leave no one behind: Vaccine equity in the Global South

June 15, 2021

A discussion on the barriers to access COVID-19 vaccines for the world’s poorest people with internationally renowned speakers Fr Charles Chilufya SJ, Dr Sunita Narain, Dr Katrina Plamondon and Dr Jeffrey Sachs.

A Day for Prayer and Solidarity 11 – 13 June 2021

The Jesuits are adding their voice to the many individuals and groups in the Church and civil society which are advocating for equity and justice in the production and distribution of vaccines especially for marginalized and vulnerable communities all over the world.

The Society of Jesus calls for justice in the global allocation of COVID-19 vaccines

On May 10, The Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) of the Society of Jesus released a statement on COVID-19 vaccine equity. The statement makes clear that the Society of Jesus supports the growing call for concrete efforts to be undertaken for an equitable and just vaccine allocation framework. Fr Xavier Jeyaraj, Secretary of SJES, outlines four actions points: 1) to urge countries still blocking the proposal for a temporary waiver of patent rights to support it so as to expand and speed up the production and distribution of life-saving technologies, medication and vaccines; 2) to encourage all countries to prioritize distribution of vaccines to the most vulnerable; 3) to urge wealthy countries to fill funding gaps for the COVAX initiative and to share surplus vaccines from their own stockpiles, and 4) to call on International Financial Institutions and private creditors to cancel the debts of low and middle income countries to allow them to respond to and recover from the pandemic.

CJI and other civil society organizations write a letter to the WTO

April 13, 2021 - CJI joins other civil society organizations across the globe in asking Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization to remove barriers towards the development, production and approval of vaccines, therapeutics and other medical technologies necessary for the prevention, containment and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadian organizations write an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

On March 10, 2021, several non-governmental organizations, trade unions and civil society organizations, including CJI, sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging the Government of Canada to support global access to COVID-19 vaccines at the WTO.

JCAM writes letter to High Commissioner Lisa Stadelbauer

On March 5, 2021, Fr Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) wrote to Lisa Stadelbauer, Canadian High Commissioner to the Republic of Kenya, urgently requesting the Federal Government of Canada to support the proposed TRIPS Waiver.

Fr Chilufya explains the importance of vaccine equity

Fr Charles Chilufya SJ, Coordinator of the Africa Task Force of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission, and the Director of the Justice and Ecology Office of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), explains the importance of this global effort.

 

Banner photo: COVID-19 vaccine is administered at Jamaa Mission Hospital in Bururuburu in Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Marvin Mwaura/JCAM

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