WTO chief says informal talks on vaccine waiver 'intensifying'

World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday said that formal negotiations about a temporary waiver of intellectual property rules to boost access to Covid-19 vaccines were "stuck," but informal talks were intensifying.

Citing this week's meeting of trade ministers in Italy and their resolve to make progress, she said she believed that WTO members could "find a pragmatic compromise on the IP waiver" that would ensure equitable access to vaccines while preserving incentives for research and innovation.