Statement by International Development Minister on Appointment to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment Engagement Group

January 15, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, today issued the following statement on her appointment as co-chair of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Engagement Group:

“The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be equitable if it is to be successful. This effort to get COVID-19 vaccines out to everyone is a win for all of us.

“Canada is a strong supporter and leading donor to the COVAX Facility. The COVAX Facility is the key to ending this pandemic and will only work if we all come together.

“We recently announced an additional contribution to help establish amechanism within the COVAX Facility to allow countries to donate or exchange surplus vaccine doses, so that every dose that is produced gets to someone who needs it. The COVAX Facility Advance Market Commitment, administered by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, serves as a financing instrument that will support the participation of 92 lower-middle and low-income economies in the COVAX Facility, and ensure their access to COVID-19 vaccines.

“As a Co-Chair for the AMC Engagement Group, I look forward to working with my colleagues, Retno LP Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Indonesia, and Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health for Ethiopia to ensure safe and equitable access to vaccines for all 92 COVAX AMC-eligible economies. We will also work closely with Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others, to mobilize support for the COVAX AMC and ensure that the facility is a success.

“Canada is determined to do its part to ensure that we have a fair and equitable distribution approach for testing, future treatments and successful vaccines. No one is safe until everyone is safe.”