COVAX: A global multistakeholder group that poses political and health risks to developing countries and multilateralism

This report by Friends of the Earth International and Transnational Institute critiques COVAX, describing it as a multistakeholder group that prioritizes pharmaceutical market interests and corporate influence over human rights and multilateral humanitarian systems in the Global South.

• COVAX is characterized as a multistakeholder group serving as the vaccine distribution arm of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT), primarily functioning to manage the financing for COVID-19 vaccine purchases.
• The report argues that COVAX was designed to operate like a merchant bank and international trade association to shape the global vaccine industry and Southern consumer markets without national medical approval or manufacturer liability, while marginalizing the WHO to avoid public accountability.
• The author contends that multistakeholderism in vaccine distribution marginalizes governments and allows business interests to influence global decision-making and market planning, which creates a risk of commercial self-interest inappropriately affecting COVAX decisions.

APA

Gleckman, H. (n.d.). COVAX: A global multistakeholder group that poses political and health risks to developing countries and multilateralism. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/publication/covax-covid19-vaccine-report/

Chicago

Gleckman, Harris. COVAX: A global multistakeholder group that poses political and health risks to developing countries and multilateralism. Friends of the Earth International, n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/covax-covid19-vaccine-report/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gleckman |first1=Harris |title=COVAX: A global multistakeholder group that poses political and health risks to developing countries and multilateralism |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/covax-covid19-vaccine-report/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gleckmanndcovax, author = {Gleckman, Harris}, title = {{COVAX: A global multistakeholder group that poses political and health risks to developing countries and multilateralism}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/covax-covid19-vaccine-report/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }