Negotiations on new rules for dealing with pandemics are underway at the World Health Organization (WHO), with a target date of May 2024 for a legally binding agreement to be adopted by the U.N. health agency's 194 member countries.
A new pact is a priority for WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as his second five-year term at the head of the global health agency gets underway. It seeks to shore up the world's defences against new pathogens following the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 6.
Suggested proposals for the pact include the sharing of data and genome sequences of emerging viruses and rules on equitable vaccine distribution.Member states agreed in July that the new agreement should be legally binding. Another key meeting is scheduled for December. Members are due to give their initial feedback to the draft in a public meeting between Dec. 5-7. With so many member countries involved, securing agreement is likely to be tricky.It is not yet clear how the 2005 regulations and the new pandemic accord might fit together.
It remains to be determined whether negotiators will include measures such as sanctions to ensure compliance.Separate talks on an initiative to overhaul the 2005 rules are taking place, with proposals submitted by the United States, the European Union and at least a dozen others, diplomats say.
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