Did they or didn’t they?
This has been one of the many questions plaguing beleaguered negotiators in Geneva negotiating a Pandemic Agreement at WHO this week, when uncertainty around a Presidential communication from South Africa caused complications exacerbating already difficult circumstances. Conflicting signals from the government of South Africa on the overall position of the Africa Group, a key player in these negotiations, has led to confusion at a critical time in these discussions.
In this story, we try to unpack what has transpired over the last 48 hours, even as uncertainty continues at the time of publishing this edition.
The South African case is illustrative of the pressures faced by governments from different quarters and interest groups as countries negotiate a Pandemic Agreement under difficult circumstances. South Africa heads into election mode next week on May 29th, when the World Health Assembly considers a resolution on the Pandemic Agreement.
On May 21, Geneva Health Files published a letter from the South African Presidency dated May 20, 2024 that laid out the markers for the Africa Group in the Pandemic Agreement negotiations.
After we published it, we received some messages alleging that this letter was fake. As per usual process, we had verified our information with our trusted sources before publishing the letter that comes in at a sensitive stage of the negotiations scheduled for conclusion by May 24th.
We confirmed the veracity of the letter yet again with multiple sources associated with the process. And we stand by our decision to publish the letter that sources say is genuine. There has been no denial communicated to us that this letter was not sent by the Presidency. Contrary to it, multiple sources attest to the authenticity of the letter.
We are still awaiting an official clarification from South African authorities after more than 24 hours of waiting to receive a response from them. We will update this story if we indeed receive a response.