Statement by Friends of the Covax Facility (FOF)

Together with the European Commission and EU Member States, we will have joined as participants of the “Self-Financing” pillar, including participation in the Shareholders Council, allocation and product groups. In addition to the contribution given by the European Commission and its member states, Norway's and Iceland's contribution as part of the Team Europe contribution will consist of USD 7 million in cash.

This amounts to purchase options for 2 million doses that will be transferred to eligible AMC countries. In addition; USD 7 million will be provided to the Covax Advanced Marked Commitment mechanism in order to secure an additional 2 million doses  to low and lower middle income countries (LMICs).

Here is the statement:

The Friends of the Covax Facility (FOF)[1] strongly support vaccine multilateralism and the goal of ensuring affordable, fair and equitable access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for all.

The Covax Facility is about to set a precedent of multilateral cooperation and solidarity and the FOF firmly believes in the importance and impact of this global initiative. We support the Facility’s goal to deliver two billion doses of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines by 2021, and welcome that it currently manages the world’s largest and most diverse Covid-19 vaccine portfolio. The FOF is pleased to have participated collaboratively in the Facility’s co-creation.

Members of the FOF have expressed their intent to participate in the Facility and some have already submitted legally-binding Commitment Agreements. We will continue supporting Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to operationalise the Facility.

Ending the Covid-19 pandemic requires a bold, collective effort.  We encourage other countries to join this collective global effort to support vaccine multilateralism, and to ensure the unimpeded fair and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide.

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[1] The FOF, co-chaired by Singapore and Switzerland, comprises the following countries and the European Union: Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.