The African region of the World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the weakening of equity clauses in latest draft of the pandemic accord and called for this week’s negotiations to focus on principles and key areas of concern rather than the detailed text.
The 47 WHO Africa group countries made their submission at the resumption of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Body (INB) meeting in Geneva on Monday.
“The African member states recognise the hard position that the bureau finds itself in trying to keep everyone at the negotiating table,” said Ethiopia on behalf of Africa.
“However, it is unfortunate that, in that process, the core of what this instrument is supposed to address, namely equity, has been presented in a weakened or reduced format, especially in those articles that would result in a meaningful realisation of equity.”