The World Trade Organization (WTO) members will assess a proposal to waive patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday. Sponsors of the waiver said the temporary suspension would allow more factories worldwide to produce the vaccine without breaking the rules under the WTO agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

The proposal to ease up on patent protections for vaccines was submitted by South Africa and India in October and is backed by 60 WTO members.