[Ip-health] Statement by India on virus benefit sharing

[Sangeeta]

The statement below by India was supported by Brazil, Iran for the emro
region and nigeria for AFRO region.


Statement made by India on behalf of countries in the South East Asia Region
(9th Dec 2008) in the Intergovernmental Meeting on PIP: Sharing of Influenza
Viruses and Access to vaccines and Other benefits.

Madam Chair,

    On behalf of the countries in the South East Asia Region, I thank you
for your stewardship of the deliberations on the principles today. We in the
SEA region are pleased that some progress has been made and are also
sanguine that this process shall gain momentum over the next few days.
Having said that, SEARO countries must also point out that there needs to be
greater clarity amongst Member states as to what principle shall constitute
the foundation of this framework. SEARO countries have the position that
virus sharing and the sharing of benefits must be on the same footing and at
the same level for global public health without one to one reciprocation
between countries that share the virus and the benefits. However, based on
today's deliberations, SEARO countries have gained the perception that the
focus has been towards consolidating the system, structures and mechanisms
of virus sharing alone. The issue of benefit sharing has been relegated to
the realm of the vauge and the obscure.

We, therefore feel that for the framework to be purposeful and effective
there needs to be clarity amongst member states as to how the issue of virus
and benefit sharing are to be treated. If we form the view that virus
sharing alone is to be an obligation of member states, then nothing much
remains to be discussed. Virus sharing mechanisms are already in position.
Virus sharing which has been in place for 60 years does not to our
understanding deliver global public health protection in times of a
pandemic. This has been the core of the current debate.

SEARO countries are of the view that global public health protection can
easily be achieved when virus sharing and benefit sharing are treated
equally and on the same footing. We need to state this principle upfront in
the framework.