Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, 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.

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 the IVI’s Board of Trustees (BOT).

George Bickerstaff, Chairperson of IVI’s BOT said, “With Canada’s membership, IVI and its Global Council will gain a critical new voice to champion equitable global health.”

Mélanie Joly said, “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 immunisation, 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. 

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 independent international organization. The Agreement remains open for accession by any state or intergovernmental organization.