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We are writing on behalf of some public interest stakeholders invited to participate in the Pandemic Treaty Negotiations and other civil society organizations sharing their concerns and expectations about the  “Conceptual Zero Draft of the proposed WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response” (the Pandemic Treaty)  which is expected to be published by the INB Bureau in mid-November and form the basis of formal negotiations after the next INB session on December 5-7, 2022.  

A year ago, the second Special Session of the World Health Assembly (WHASS) unanimously agreed to start a diplomatic process for a new binding instrument aimed at ensuring the international community is better prepared for the next health emergencies. The establishment of an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) at the WHO paved the terrain for a proper negotiation, which has started to unfold. The INB will be releasing the “conceptual zero draft” of the treaty text in early December 2022.

Whatever the outcome of the process, one of the inescapable pillars of any new international agreement is addressing how to finance pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR). This is the reason why the Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) decided to embark into the contentious relationship between the international financial architecture and current health financing models, towards highlighting the pitfalls the world must avoid to ensure a healthier post-COVID world.

The Member States of the WHO are about to commence the most significant negotiations that could set the paradigm for international legal obligations for preparedness and response to future pandemics. These negotiations focus on amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) as well as the negotiation of a treaty or other legal instrument under the WHO Constitution that will complement the IHR to ensure better preparedness and response to future pandemics, drawing from the experiences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The most critical consideration for developing countries in these negotiations will be mainstreaming equity concerns, currently missing from the existing rules and mechanisms available globally to enable developing countries to effectively prevent and respond to a pandemic outbreak. In this context, this brief suggests some elements of equity that should be pursued through specific textual proposals by developing countries through amendments to the IHR.

Official page of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

In this edition, we bring you an update on the drafting group meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating body that met this week in Geneva. (Do note that this story was updated on June 17 to capture the proceedings from the final session.)

Also, find below, a short update from the WTO on the extension of the TRIPS decision to COVID-19 tests and treatments.

Marking four years since the pandemic was declared and two years into its formation, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Inter-Governmental Negotiating Bureau (INB) for the Pandemic Agreement unveiled the Negotiating Text on March 7^th, 2024. This text will be discussed during the ninth and penultimate session of the INB, to be held from March 18th to 28th in Geneva. Subsequently, it will undergo deliberation for formal adoption at the 77th World Health Assembly, set to convene at the end of May 2024.Top of Form

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed fragilities in the global health architecture that contributed to countries being ill-equipped to effectively respond to a global health emergency, which in turn led to devastating consequences for children’s access to essential health services.

Increased political awareness and commitment to pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPR) efforts offer a pivotal opportunity to make gains in child survival through resilient health systems that are anchored in a primary health care and rights-based approach.

Save the Children and UNICEF UK new policy briefing presents a series of measures for the WHO Pandemic Accord as well as recommendations for the broader health emergency PPR architecture.