Text-based Negotiations on Pandemic Agreement Begin at WHO, But Too Late. Proposed One Health Instrument Adds to Complexity
WHO member states finally began text-based negotiations on a new Pandemic Agreement at WHO this week after more than two years since the process commenced. This comes far too late, with just over a handful of negotiating days left to conclude this process. As a result, the risk of a weak text emerging out of this process is nearly certain now.
The outcome of such an agreement will have implications worldwide – if done badly it could complicate the governance of pandemics, observers say. If nothing is done, status quo will preserve existing paradigms on how the world responds to health emergencies – it will be a missed opportunity. There is no time left within existing timelines to do this well, unless countries find a way of continuing these vital reforms work in the coming months and years with a commitment to find lasting, meaningful change towards Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response.
Later today, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body will decide on the way forward for this process. We will update this story subsequently.
In the analysis below, we look the discussions from this week on a proposed multilateral mechanism on the Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing system, among other areas that have been taken up at the resumed meeting of the INB in Geneva this week.