untitled design

WHERE: Negotiations begin to address future pandemics

The start of negotiations on an international agreement aimed at preventing and controlling future pandemics was agreed on Wednesday (1/12) by the World Health Organization as well as The international community is preparing for the fight against the new Omicron mutation of the coronavirus.

Such an agreement, which strengthens measures against pandemics, is expected to be ready in May 2024 and will cover issues ranging from data sharing and the emergence of the emerging virus genome to the fair distribution of vaccines and research-based drugs.

The draft agreement envisages in the first year the creation of an “intergovernmental body” which will draft and negotiate “a treaty, an agreement or another international body of the WHO. for the prevention, preparation and response to pandemics».

In May 2023 the interim report

An interim report is expected in May 2023, which will be followed by the conclusions in May 2024, according to the Athens News Agency.

“The adoption of this decision is a cause for celebration and a cause for hope that we all need,” said World Health Organization Director-General Andrew Grebregesus at a meeting of health ministers.

“Of course there is still a long way to go. “There are still differences of opinion on what a new agreement could or should include,” he said, calling for co-operation to continue.

In the meantime, countries must comply with the 2005 WHO International Health Regulations., write down.

The decision, entitled “The world together”, was adopted by consensus in a special assembly of the 94 member states of the UN health organization, causing an outburst of applause at the end of the three-day session.

“The text before us is the product of extensive discussions, frank exchanges and compromises,” said Australian Ambassador Sally Mansfield, who co-chaired the working group.

The European Union had pushed for a deal on a legally binding international treaty with about 70 countries, but Brazil, India and the United States were among those reluctant to commit to a treaty, diplomats said.

“We call for an ambitious process in building this treaty, let us all show our multilateral commitment and commitment to a binding tool,” said Ambassador Lotte Knunsen, head of the EU Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva. .

The United States welcomed the decision, saying in a statement: “This milestone represents our collective responsibility to work together to promote health security and to make the global health system stronger and faster to respond to.”

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular