WT/MIN(22)/W/13  
 
10 June 2022  
(22-4426) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 202 2 Original: English  
 
 
DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON THE WTO RESPONSE TO THE  
COVID -19 PANDEMIC  AND PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS  
1. We note that over the course of the COVID -19 pandemic, Members experienced supply 
constraints of COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other essential medical goods. 
These experiences were not shared equally during the pandemic, in particular due to Members' 
differing levels of development, financial capabilities, and degrees of import dependence on those 
products. We encourage Members to understand and build upon the experience of the pandemic, as 
contemplated by this declaration, in order to support increased resilience for COVID -19 and future 
pandemics.  
 
2. We recognize the importance of a stable and predicta ble trading environment for the provision 
of goods and services in accordance with WTO rules to facilitate manufacturing, and supply and 
distribution, of COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other essential medical goods, 
including their input s. 
 
3. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of working towards enhancing timely, equitable 
and global access to safe, affordable and effective COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and 
other essential medical goods. We recognize the role of the multilateral trading system in supporting 
the expansion and diversification of production of essential goods and related services needed in the 
fight against COVID -19 and future pandemics, including through identifying opportunities and 
addressing barriers . We underscore the critical role the WTO can play in promoting inclusive growth 
including industrialization, development, and resilience.  
 
4. We recognize that global recovery remains highly divergent across the Membership, and that 
the pandemic continues to  pose evolving challenges, in particular related to the possible spread of 
new variants of COVID -19, and uneven paces of vaccination. We further note that the COVID -19 
pandemic has resulted in balance of payments challenges and revealed limitations in the fiscal means 
available to some developing country Members, and especially LDCs, to withstand, respond to, and 
recover from the pandemic.  
 
5. We are committed to transparency, including that notifications of trade -related measures with 
respect to COVID -19 and future pandemics are submitted in a timely and comprehensive manner in 
accordance with WTO rules. The sharing of information helps Members and traders become 
acquainted with measures taken. We recognize that COVID -19 and future pandemics may further 
constr ain the limited resources and institutional capacities of some developing country Members, 
and especially LDCs, and underscore the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in 
respect of transparency and monitoring.  
 
6. We recognize the value o f timely and accurate information to enable the quick identification 
by Members of potential disruptions in supply chains during COVID -19 and future pandemics. In 
addition, we encourage Members to actively engage in the WTO Trade Monitoring Exercise.  
 
7. To the extent provided by WTO rules, we recognize the importance of ensuring that any 
emergency trade measures designed to tackle COVID -19, if deemed necessary, are targeted, 
proportionate, transparent, temporary; and do not create unnecessary barriers to trade or 
unnecessary disruptions in supply chains. When implementing such measures, we will endeavour to 
take into account Members' diverse circumstances, in particular the interests of some developing 
country Members, and especially LDCs; and their needs for emergency supplies and humanitarian 
assistance.  WT/MIN(22)/W/13  
 
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  8. We recognize that, during the COVID -19 pandemic, Members have, at times, experienced 
acute supply constraints in the face of significant domestic and international demand for COVID -19 
vaccines, therapeut ics, diagnostics and other essential medical goods. Therefore, Members have 
made significant efforts to increase and diversify production; and to support equitable access to 
these goods. Recognizing that Members may apply export restrictions and otherwise take measures 
necessary to protect life and health in accordance with WTO rules, we intend to exercise due restraint 
in the imposition of export restrictions on such goods, including their inputs.  
 
9. We reiterate the importance of the WTO Trade Facilitation  Agreement and particularly those 
provisions which have proved critical to date during the COVID -19 pandemic as discussed in the 
Committee on Trade Facilitation. We acknowledge the capacity building needs of developing country 
Members, and especially LDCs,  and underline Section II of the Trade Facilitation Agreement available 
to them.  
 
10. Within the context of existing WTO rights and obligations, we note those additional, voluntary 
trade facilitating measures Members have implemented to address the ongoing pan demic, including 
streamlining customs procedures, decreasing and simplifying documentation requirements, 
temporarily reducing or adjusting tariff rates and other charges on COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics, 
diagnostics, and other essential medical goods, in cluding their inputs.  
 
11. With a view to expediting access to COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other 
essential medical goods, during COVID -19 and future pandemics, we encourage regulatory 
cooperation, as appropriate, and the sharing of regula tory information on a voluntary basis.  
 
12. We recall the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health of 2001 and 
reiterate that the TRIPS Agreement does not and should not prevent Members from taking measures 
to protect public health. According ly, while reiterating our commitment to the TRIPS Agreement, we 
reaffirm that the Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive 
of WTO Members' right to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicin es 
for all.  
 
13. We further reaffirm that Members have the right to use, to the full, the TRIPS Agreement and 
the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health of 2001, which provide flexibility 
to protect public health including in future pandemi cs. 
 
14. (Placeholder to recall a TRIPS Waiver outcome.)  
 
15. We recognize that increasing the level of global preparedness to COVID -19 and future 
pandemics requires strengthened productive, scientific and technological capacity across the world. 
We also recognize  that such capacity is instrumental for developing solutions to public health crises 
beyond COVID -19, including those relating to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other epidemics, 
as well as neglected tropical diseases, and for diversifying manufacturin g locations. In line with WTO 
rules, we underscore the importance of promoting technology transfer that contributes to building 
capacity in related sectors.  
 
16. We reaffirm the commitment of developed country Members to Article 66.2 of the TRIPS 
Agreement.  
 
17. We underline the critical role of services in ensuring resilience during COVID -19 and future 
pandemics. We acknowledge the importance of facilitating the international operations of service 
suppliers involved in production and distribution of COVID -19 vacci nes, therapeutics, diagnostics, 
and other essential medical goods, such as logistics and freight transport services. We also 
acknowledge the importance of facilitating trade in services, including health services and ICT 
services, during COVID -19 and futur e pandemics.  
 
18. We recognize the significant impact of the pandemic on services sectors and services trade of 
Members. We stress the importance of services trade, across sectors and modes of supply, to support 
economic recovery of Members, particularly thos e of interest to some developing country Members, 
and especially LDCs.  
 
19. We also recognize that the COVID -19 pandemic has negatively affected the tourism sector, 
particularly in tourism dependent economies, especially tourism dependent LDCs. We acknowledge  WT/MIN(22)/W/13  
 
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  that Members needed to take actions to reduce the spread of the virus, contributing to those effects. 
We recognize that enhanced cooperation and dialogue amongst Members, especially those whose 
economies are dependent on tourism, can be important in facil itating better understanding of how 
to potentially mitigate these effects.  
 
20. Taking into consideration Members' public health policies and experiences during the COVID -
19 pandemic, we acknowledge the relevance of further cooperation within the mandate of the WTO 
and its rules to boost post -pandemic recovery and trade flows, including on testing requirements 
and results, recognition of vaccination certificates and interoperability and mutual recognition of 
digital health applications, while conti nuing to protect public health and ensuring privacy and 
personal data protection.  
 
21. We underscore the importance of global food security in resilience -building and responding to 
the current and future pandemics. We recognize the particularly negative impact  of the COVID -19 
pandemic on the food security of developing country Members, especially for net food -importing 
developing country Members and LDCs.  
 
22. Food security related issues exacerbated by the COVID -19 pandemic, such as supply and price 
challenges, ar e multifaceted and require a comprehensive approach to address them.  
 
23. We underscore the importance of understanding how WTO rules have supported Members 
during the COVID -19 pandemic, and their role in future pandemics. We affirm the need to review 
and bui ld on all the lessons learned and the challenges experienced during the COVID -19 pandemic, 
to build effective solutions in case of future pandemics including on balance of payments, 
development, export restrictions, food security, intellectual property, re gulatory cooperation, 
services, tariff classification, technology transfer, trade facilitation, and transparency, in an 
expeditious manner.  
 
24. Relevant WTO bodies1 will, within their fields of competence, and on the basis of proposals by 
Members, continue o r initiate work as soon as possible, to analyze  lessons that have been learned 
and challenges experienced during the COVID -19 pandemic. A stocktaking exercise will be taken of 
the work by WTO bodies under this declaration yearly at the General Council unti l the end of 2024, 
based on the reports of those relevant bodies.  
 
25. Areas of discussion and focus will include, but not be limited to, the topics set forth in 
Paragraph 23 and other topics raised by Members reflecting their varied experiences during the 
COVID-19 pandemic.  
 
26. We note that the General Council may be called to meet, as appropriate, to facilitate enhanced 
cooperation and dialogue in the context of a pandemic.  
 
27. We also note the work undertaken by the WTO Secretariat, including in collaboration w ith 
other international organizations. That includes analysis, including the mapping of supply and 
demand, regarding trade in vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other essential medical goods 
and services as related to the COVID -19 pandemic.  
 
28. We furth er note the importance of the WTO working, along with the World Health Organization 
and other international organizations, on an international pandemic response, including activities 
such as expeditious matching of supply to demand, mapping manufacturing c apacities and demands, 
matchmaking to cater to such demands, and mutual recognition norms, related to goods and 
services that are essential to respond effectively to COVID -19 and future pandemics.  
 
29. We confirm that this declaration does not alter the rights  and obligations of WTO Members. 
We further confirm that this declaration does not create sub -categories of developing country 
Members.  
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1 Relevant WTO bodies include the Council for Trade in Goods or its subsidiary bodies (including the 
Committee on Trade Facilitation, the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, the Committee on Market Access, and the Committee on Agr iculture), Trade Policy 
Review Body, Council for Trade in Services or its relevant subsidiary bodies, Council for Trade -Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights, Committee on Trade and Development, Working  Group on Trade and Technology 
Transfer and  Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance.