WHO member countries agree to start negotiations on pandemic treaty
(VOVWORLD) - Member states of the World Health Organization have reached a tentative consensus to negotiate a future agreement on preventing pandemics.
The countries agreed to establish an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) responsible for drafting and negotiating a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
The first meeting of the INB will be held no later than March 1, 2022 to elect two co-chairs and four vice presidents. The INB will then begin to define the basic elements of this international convention, which includes issues such as data sharing, sequencing of new viruses, as well as any potential vaccines and drugs. The draft is to be completed by August the same year.
The INB will present a progress report on negotiations and drafting at the World Health Assembly (WHA) annual meeting in 2023 and submit the final results at the WHA 2024 annual meeting.