Johnson needs reminding of this today

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Hi John,

Today, Boris Johnson is speaking at a conference aimed at increasing UK investment in Africa.

The UK-Africa Investment Conference will also include WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

But there’s an elephant in the room: how can business flourish when only 9% of people living in Africa are double-jabbed, and some of the continent’s largest countries haven’t reached more than 5%?

They're being held back by international trade rules which Boris Johnson’s government continues to hold as sacrosanct - even as he proclaims it can be part of the solution. It continues to block a measure that could help the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic *and* stimulate a sustainable decentralised high-skill economy in local pharmaceutical manufacturing. Sounds like a simple win? We think so!

Will you remind Boris Johnson that only yesterday he stated that expanding vaccine production in Africa is the best long-term solution to end the pandemic, but at the same time he continues to stand in the way of a measure which could unleash this production?

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Boris Johnson says he wants to support investment in Africa. But he is blocking a key policy which African leaders have united behind as a way out of the pandemic. The waiver of intellectual property rules on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments is backed by the entire Africa group at the World Trade Organisation. But the UK government thinks it knows what’s best for the continent.

From trying to pressure countries into accepting offshore detention centres to blocking Covid-19 policy solutions, this government needs reminding that the days of empire are over. Boris Johnson needs to move out of the way so African countries can find their own solutions.

Thank you for your support.

Alena Ivanova
Campaigner at Global Justice Now

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