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.
The discussion on PABS in some ways, demonstrates the depth of the divide even at this penultimate stage of the negotiations. But much of this could be positioning by “either” sides. To be sure, there is more nuance to this, than the usual north-south, developed vs developing countries divide. For one, there continues to be a fair amount of interest in the mechanism across the board. And hence, while PABS could hold the key to unlock the impasse facing countries, without consensus on principles, it could potentially bring this whole edifice down at this stage.
In addition, throw in discussions around a new One Health instrument as proposed by the Bureau, and you have a perfect storm in the making.
This story tries to capture the multi-dimensional state of play in these talks. The following has two parts, one looking at the overall dynamics, and the second focusing on PABS.