The global pandemic treaty could take more than a year after the deadline is missed
Global health leaders have said an international treaty determining how the world should deal with future pandemics may not be agreed upon for a year or more.
After two years of negotiations, the countries have failed to agree on the text of an international pandemic deal before a May 24 deadline. And at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday, delegates said extensive further negotiations would be needed.
The agreement contains a series of measures setting out how the world should prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics. To expand plan Before a pandemic treaty in early 2021, world leaders described it as a legacy to protect their children and grandchildren.
The government’s former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance is among those who have warned of the threat of a new pandemic, saying earlier this month it was “absolutely inevitable”.
During a debate, some countries – including many African countries – urged efforts to conclude the treaty negotiation process before the end of 2024, so as not to lose momentum.
Others, including the US, the EU and Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, called for at least another year so that thorny issues can be properly addressed.
Although Member States have reached agreement in many areas, serious disagreements remain, including in financial areas; how many products should pharmaceutical companies set aside for the countries most in need; intellectual property rights and sanctions.
A leading issue concerns what access to medicines and treatments developing countries can expect in return for their efforts to monitor and share information about pathogens found on their territory.
The negotiations have also been the subject of widespread disinformation campaigns, with false claims that the treaty represents a power grab by the World Health Organization, giving these countries the ability to impose lockdowns.
a big blue bus was seen driving around Geneva urging people to “say no to the pandemic treaty”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Roland Driece, co-chair of the intergovernmental negotiating body, told a panel discussion on the treaty that the issues yet to be resolved were “really politically sensitive and difficult” and suggested that more than a few months of additional negotiations would be needed .
Driece warned that there is a risk that the sense of urgency may slip as time moves away from the pandemic and other international issues come to the fore, but said: “We must all realize that we started with nothing. We started with a blank sheet of paper.”
He said all necessary elements were on the table “if countries want to work with them.”
Parallel negotiations on how changes can be implemented International Health Regulations (IHR) Measures introduced since 2005 to strengthen healthcare systems facing pandemics are believed to have moved closer to agreement, with many countries pushing for a final decision on the changes to be made this week.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, WHO said work would continue until the end of the meeting on June 1 to finalize the package of changes to the IHR and agree on the timing, format and process to conclude the pandemic agreement.
Michel Kazatchkine, former member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, said: “The good news is that all countries want to continue. But we cannot wait for the deal to accelerate pandemic preparedness at national and regional levels to be agreed. Hopefully, significant changes to the IHL will be adopted by the end of this week.”