Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated he wants the Treaty agreed before the end of 2024 in time for the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.
At the 10th meeting of the International Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, held on 16 and 17 July 2024, the meeting schedule through to the 78th World Health Assembly, in May 2025, was agreed.
The Director-General (DG) of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated: “completing these negotiations this year would represent a unique and historic achievement”.
Next Steps
In an attempt to finalise the Pandemic Agreement within the DG’s end of year time frame, the following meetings are scheduled in September:
6th September 2024 – “…interactive dialogues and outreach to provide balanced and diverse expertise, viewpoints and perspectives”
The focus will be on Article 4 (Pandemic Prevention and Surveillance) and Article 5 (One Health Approach for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response); Article 12 (Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System); the complementarity and coherence between the amended International Health Regulations (2005) and the proposal for the Pandemic Agreement as well as the legal architecture of the Pandemic Agreement;
9th – 20th September 2024 –The 11th meeting of the INB
Latest draft of the Pandemic Agreement
By the end of the 9th meeting of the INB (which was the last substantive meeting), consensus on the text was not reached.
The latest draft of the Pandemic Agreement can be read here.
Post September 2024 INB Schedule
23rd September – 1st November 2024 – Intersessional informal meetings (dates not yet determined)
4th – 15th November 2024 – 12th meeting of the INB
2025 – Additional days, as required, prior to 78th World Health Assembly.
Key Dates
Week of 2nd September – Interactive dialogues and outreach – Articles 12, 4 and 5; complementarity and coherence between the amended IHR and relevant Articles in the proposal for the Pandemic Agreement and legal architecture of the proposal for the Pandemic Agreement
9th – 20th September – INB11
