A global treaty to combat pandemics like COVID-19 will have to wait. After more than two years of negotiations, wealthy and developing nations have been unable to devise a plan for a coordinated global response to future pandemics.
In the wake of COVID-19, which led to unprecedented lockdowns, economic disruptions, and millions of deaths, global leaders and the World Health Organization (WHO) committed to improving future responses. In 2021, WHO member countries requested that the UN health agency lead negotiations to establish a framework for better resource sharing and virus containment.
On Friday, Roland Driece, co-chair of the WHO's negotiating board, acknowledged that a draft treaty was not ready. The WHO had aimed to present a final draft at its annual meeting of health ministers in Geneva starting Monday.
“We are not where we hoped to be when we started this process,” Driece said, emphasizing the critical need for an international pandemic response agreement.
The draft treaty sought to address the inequities seen during COVID-19, where richer countries had greater access to vaccines compared to poorer nations. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described this disparity as a “catastrophic moral failure.”
On the final day of negotiations, Tedros explained that this is not a failure, and that they will continue to strive for a pandemic treaty because the world needs it, noting that many issues that hindered the COVID-19 response remain unresolved.
The proposed treaty aimed to establish guidelines for WHO's 194 member countries to prevent future pandemics and ensure equitable resource distribution. “Experts” cautioned that there were few penalties for non-compliance.
The treaty's co-chairs did not specify the reasons for the deadlock, but diplomats cited significant disagreements over the sharing of pathogen information and technologies. The latest draft suggested that WHO receive 20% of pandemic-related products, such as tests, treatments, and vaccines, and called for transparency in deals with private companies.
Earlier this month, U.S. Republican senators expressed concerns to the Biden administration, arguing that the draft treaty could undermine intellectual property rights and expand WHO’s authority. They urged Biden not to support the treaty.
Precious Matsoso, the other co-chair of the WHO's negotiating board, remained optimistic about reaching an agreement despite the current impasse, explaining that they will ensure this happens because the next pandemic “will not spare us”.
Ministers from the WHO's 194 member states are now aiming to review the lessons learned and plan the next steps during the May 27-June 1 World Health Assembly.
Driece urged participants to make the necessary decisions to eventually reach a pandemic agreement, highlighting its importance for global health security.
A senior U.S. administration official stated that Washington remains committed to the process but anticipates another 1-2 years of talks. “There's a lot of frustration,” she said. A health diplomat mentioned that reforms to the process are being considered, along with a potential extension of 5-24 months.
Negotiations continue on updating existing health rules for outbreaks, with negotiators indicating that a deal is near. This includes a new tiered alert system in response to criticism that the WHO was too slow in declaring a COVID emergency.
