South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday a top priority must be given to tackling vaccine inequality, including action on the patent waiver proposal originally put forward by India and South Africa in order to “achieve recovery and resilience from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

"This gross inequality is both unjust and counterproductive," he declared in his keynote address at the WTO public forum 2021.

The forum, entitled "Trade Beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience", is focusing on the effects of the pandemic on trade and how the multilateral trading system can help build resilience to COVID-19 and future crises.

"The rapid and equitable rollout of life saving medical products is the best response to the virus, and the best stimulus plan for a strong sustained and economic recovery," Ramaphosa said.

The WTO "has a central role in addressing trade and intellectual property related barriers to boost and diversify production of vaccines, diagnostics, as well as therapeutics," he added. 

"Through bodies like the WTO, we can rise to these challenges. And let us build a fairer, more prosperous and more resilient world," President Ramaphosa declared.

A relatively positive short-term outlook for global trade "is marred by regional disparities, continued weakness in services trade, and lagging vaccination timetables, particularly in poor countries," he added.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed participants to the opening of the WTO’s Public Forum 2021, calling on them to “engage in serious thinking” about how to build a greener, more prosperous and more inclusive post-pandemic world economy.

This year's Forum, entitled "Trade Beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience", is focusing on the effects of the pandemic on trade and how the multilateral trading system can help build resilience to COVID-19 and future crises.

Held in hybrid format, with participation in person and virtually, the 28 September – 1 October event is the biggest public outreach event on the WTO calendar.  The 102 Forum sessions, organized by civil society groups, academics, the private sector, WTO members and others, will cover issues ranging from agriculture to digital trade, and climate change to geopolitics.

The format of the Public Forum, with a strict cap on the numbers of people allowed on the WTO premises, "reflects the fact that COVID-19 is still very much with us," the Director-General pointed out.

Also read: Why India-South Africa move to take on Big Pharma is making headway at WTO