The World Health Organization (WHO) will not complete negotiations on an agreement that could grant global officials extensive powers during and between pandemics.
The WHO will not finalize the Pandemic Agreement draft by December 2024, as announced by the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body. Member states agreed to continue negotiations into 2025, aiming for completion by the next World Health Assembly, according to co-chair Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou.
The Negotiating Body is currently in its 12th meeting after 32 months of talks. While some countries and groups have warned against rushing the process, the Africa Group wanted the agreement to be adopted quickly.
“Member states have made progress on the text to reach a consensus on all the key elements of the pandemic agreement,” said INB co-chair Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou.
“Today, member states agreed we need to conclude the agreement as soon as possible and continue negotiations into 2025 with the goal of concluding the agreement by the next WHA scheduled in May 2025, so we are moving in the right direction with a strong political
At this point, WHO officials are now hoping to adopt the pact’s official text during the upcoming 78th World Health Assembly, which is set to commence on May 19, 2025. Despite considerable global outcry against the proposed pandemic agreement, critics assert that the negotiating body has not shown any inclination to reconsider what they regard as the most concerning provisions. For example, the “Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system.”
This is the latest major setback for a global agreement that could lead the U.S. and other countries to give up significant financial resources, technology, and elements of national control to a global governing body led by someone with Marxist ties. Initially, the plan was to finalize the agreement last May, but officials have since delayed it until after the Biden-Harris administration leaves office.
With the new Trump Administration focused on protecting national sovereignty, Jennifer Kates, a global health policy expert at KFF, stated last Friday that she does not expect the pandemic agreements to be approved or accepted by the United States, as that would significantly weaken them.