WHO presents draft global agreement on protection from future pandemics
After three years of negotiations, countries have agreed on a draft agreement to strengthen global pandemic protection. The final decision will be made by the WHO Assembly in May.
Photo: World Intellectual Property Organization, CC BY 2.0
WHO member states have concluded three years of negotiations and agreed on a draft global agreement for the prevention and response to pandemics. The information was published on the WHO website.
The document will be presented at the 78th World Health Assembly, which begins on May 19, 2025. Work on the text began in December 2021 through the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which held 13 rounds of consultations.
The draft provides for a pathogen-sharing system, equitable access to technology, the formation of reserves, and workforce mobilization.
The agreement respects national sovereignty: the WHO will not have the authority to impose measures on countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus called the consensus a "historic step" and urged support for the document.
On his social media page on X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote that the negotiations lasted more than three years. The document aims to strengthen global cooperation in fighting future pandemics. The final decision will be made at the 78th World Health Assembly in May.
The European Commission also expressed support for the preliminary pandemic agreement reached on April 16 in Geneva by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body. The information was published on the European Commission's website.
The document is the result of three years of discussions and aims to strengthen the global system of prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemics.
The EU emphasized the importance of respecting member states’ authority in health matters and confirmed its readiness to work with international partners to build a resilient and fair health architecture.
The agreement is expected to be formally adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly in May.
Earlier, it was reported that the World Health Organization conducted international simulation exercises involving 15 countries and over 350 experts to test the effectiveness of the Global Emergency Response Corps.