The countries of the World Health Organization have mapped out how negotiations on a global agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response will progress with a view to presenting a draft agreement for approval by the World Health Assembly in May 2024.
Until Thursday, discussions on the draft pandemic agreement took place during the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB)which includes the 194 WHO countries.
Ms Precious Matsoso, Co-Chair of the INB Office, South Africa, said: “Countries from all parts of the world were able to discuss their ideas, concerns and suggestions in a forum for all countries to hear and consider”.
Countries agreed to keep a window open for additional written proposals until April 22 and that those proposals will be compiled with all others made in recent weeks in one package that will be available to all drafting group participants.
The INB Board will then provide, by May 22, in addition to this packet, for the Writing Group’s consideration, a Board Text, including options where feasible, based on all submissions received and included in the compilation document.
The INB Drafting Group will then meet in June to continue negotiations.
INB Office Co-Chair Mr. Roland Driece from the Netherlands said: “The world realizes that what we want and need to achieve is an agreement that will help us not repeat the mistakes of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many constructive proposals and suggestions on the table on how to do this.”
In accordance with the process agreed by governments at a special session of the World Health Assembly in late 2021, negotiations on the draft pandemic agreement will aim to produce a final draft for consideration by the 77th Assembly. World Health in May 2024.
Parallel to the negotiations of the agreement on the pandemic, Governments are also discussing more than 300 amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) in an effort to strengthen those regulations and make the world safer from communicable diseases, while ensuring greater equity in the global response to health emergencies public health.
Governments have been working to ensure consistency and alignment between the GNI and IHR processes. The proposed amendments to the IHR will also be submitted to the World Health Assembly in 2024 and together, with a future pandemic agreement, would provide a comprehensive, complementary and synergistic set of global health agreements.