World Health Organisation Pandemic Accord Negotiations

I would like to update the House regarding the latest round of negotiations on a legally binding international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response—the pandemic accord—at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In March 2021, the UK joined other WHO member states in calling for a pandemic accord that would ensure the world is better prepared for any future pandemic. Negotiations on the pandemic accord have been ongoing since 2022, and member states have until the World Health Assembly in May 2025 to reach an agreement.

The pandemic accord aims to enable a better co-ordinated, global response to pandemic threats and facilitate more equitable and timely access to pandemic-related vaccines, treatments, and tests. With a future pandemic a certainty, the pandemic accord is an opportunity to better protect the UK against this threat and to deliver on the Government’s health and growth missions, including through improving pandemic prevention, promoting innovation in pandemic related research and development (R&D), and putting in place systems that can promptly respond to pandemic threats when they emerge. The UK will only sign up to a pandemic accord which is both in the national interest and protects the health of people in the UK and around the world.

Member states have reached provisional agreement on around 75% of the text, while negotiating on the principle that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. Since the House was last updated in November, provisional agreement has been reached on articles covering sustainable financing for the implementation of the agreement, and R&D. During the latest round of negotiations, between 17 and 21 February, some progress was made on portions of the text covering pandemic prevention, the opening chapter of the accord (covering definitions, objectives, and principles), and pathogen access and benefit sharing (PABS). However, there is still some way to go on several issues, including on technology transfer and further areas within the pandemic prevention and PABS articles, with limited time remaining to negotiate the text. The UK Government remain committed to working with member states to reach an effective agreement.

I will continue to update the House as negotiations near conclusion.

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