SEOUL,
South Korea, July 18,
2024 /CNW/ -- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs,
today visited the International Vaccine Institute's
(IVI's) headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and announced
Canada's intention to join the IVI
as a state party. The IVI is an international organization with a
mission to discover, develop and deliver safe, effective and
affordable vaccines for global health.
Minister Joly's visit, on which
she was accompanied by Tamara
Mawhinney, Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Korea, and other
departmental officials from Global Affairs Canada, follows a formal
written request for Canada to join
the IVI. This request has since been approved by IVI's Board of Trustees (BOT).
George Bickerstaff,
Chairperson of IVI's BOT, said: "On behalf of the BOT, it is my
great pleasure to share that the Board has approved Canada's request to join IVI as a State Party.
We look to our member countries for guidance on how best to serve
the international community and deliver on not only IVI's goals but
their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals as well.
With Canada's membership, IVI and
its Global Council will gain a critical new voice to champion
equitable global health."
The Honourable Mélanie Joly
said the following: "Through its membership to the IVI,
Canada will advance its global
health priorities by complementing existing partnerships with Gavi,
CEPI, UNICEF, and the WHO to support global immunization, and
protect vulnerable populations against infectious diseases. As one
of the first G7 countries to announce that it is joining the IVI,
Canada will continue to
demonstrate leadership in the Indo-Pacific region and encourage
other countries to expand ties with institutions headquartered
here."
Dr. Jerome Kim, Director
General of IVI, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Canada as a member country of IVI, bringing a
committed stance on equitable vaccine access and making meaningful
progress on global goals, including through participation in
multilateral organizations. We are grateful to the Embassy of
Canada in Seoul for the continued support in fostering
this partnership, and to Honorable Minister Joly for visiting IVI
and sharing the Government of Canada's enthusiasm and vision for vaccine
science and global health impact."
The Honourable Mark Holland,
Minister of Health of Canada,
said: "Canada plays an
important role in global health. We are working closely with
international partners in many areas, including vaccines, and our
relationship with the International Vaccine Institute will help
advance domestic and global knowledge on vaccines. These collective
efforts will improve the health of people in Canada and around the world."
With the IVI BOT's approval, the Government of Canada will now proceed with its domestic
accession process. 26 countries and the World Health Organization
are Parties to IVI's Establishment Agreement, the 1996 United
Nations treaty that established IVI as an
international organization. The Agreement remains open for
accession by any state or intergovernmental organization.
SOURCE International Vaccine Institute