‘End in Sight’ for Pandemic Treaty Talks, Says WHO Chief

Negotiations for a global agreement on managing future pandemics have entered an extra week of discussions, with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressing optimism that an agreement is within reach. The talks, which resumed on Monday, mark the start of the final phase of a process initiated three years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You know your task and what is at stake,” Tedros told the 194 member states of the WHO, who are negotiating the treaty. “You should be proud of what you have achieved in the past three years, and you should also be confident that the end is in sight. It’s closer than you think. I believe that you can finalize the pending issues before the end of this year.”

Securing an international agreement in just over three years would be a remarkable achievement, given the typically slow pace of treaty negotiations. While the broad framework of the agreement is largely agreed upon, key details are still under discussion.

For the treaty to be effective, Tedros emphasized the need for strong provisions on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. “An imbalanced pandemic agreement is not an agreement,” he warned.

The one-week session is a continuation of the 12th round of talks, which began in early November. This week’s discussions are focused on critical issues such as research and development, sustainable financing, the transfer of technology and know-how for producing pandemic-related health products, and the core of the agreement: a proposed system for pathogen access and benefit-sharing.

By the end of the week, negotiators will assess whether enough progress has been made to call a special session of the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body, to finalize the treaty. Organizing such a session typically takes 35 days.

As the talks approach a conclusion, there is concern over the potential return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency in January. Trump has been a vocal critic of the WHO, having previously sought to withdraw the U.S. from the organization, accusing it of being overly influenced by China.

Talks co-chair Precious Matsoso expressed hope that this week’s discussions would resolve most of the remaining issues, while fellow co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou called it a “crucial week” for the treaty’s progress. “This is becoming urgent,” she added, urging countries to approach the negotiations in a pragmatic, flexible, and realistic manner.