I would like to underline that patent rights can never be an obstacle to addressing this global health emergency. Therefore, I reiterate my call to resolve bottlenecksinproductionanddistribution,includingapossibletemporarywaiveronvaccine patents and the elimination of obstacles throughout the valuechain

The World Trade Organization is critical to ensuring supply chains for essential medical goods and equitable vaccine access.As the Chair of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conferencethis November, Kazakhstan calls on WTO Members to deliver a meaningful outcome on WTO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.We also need more focused cooperation between governments and the pharmaceutical industry on licenses, technology transfers and technical support