New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have issued an open letter to leaders of the G7, G20,
BRICS and other nations, calling for urgent political action to complete the final stage of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
The declaration was released ahead of the G7 Summit and comes as countries prepare for another round of negotiations in July on a crucial section of the treaty that remains unresolved.
What does the declaration say?
At the heart of the letter is a demand to finalise the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, a mechanism that would govern how countries share dangerous pathogens and the benefits that arise from them, including vaccines, tests and treatments. WHO says the Pandemic Agreement cannot enter into force until this final section is completed.
The letter makes several major requests from its recipients. Among them one of them asks world leaders to show political will and give negotiators the flexibility needed to reach a consensus during talks scheduled for July 6-17. WHO and Brazil argue that technical discussions alone will not resolve the remaining disagreements and that direct support from national leaders is needed.
The declaration also calls for a stronger commitment to equity. It argues that countries sharing pathogen samples must be guaranteed fair access to vaccines, medicines and other medical tools developed from those samples. According to the letter, a predictable and transparent benefit-sharing system would encourage faster cooperation during outbreaks and help prevent the inequalities seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Importantly, the letter also stresses on urgency of action. Warning that another pandemic could emerge within the coming decade, it points to risks linked to climate change, changing land use and advances in biotechnology. The letter argues that delaying the agreement leaves the world vulnerable and less prepared for future outbreaks.
The appeal also seeks to address concerns over national sovereignty, stating that the Pandemic Agreement would not give WHO the authority to impose lockdowns, travel restrictions or vaccination mandates on member states. Such decisions, the letter says, would remain entirely in the hands of national governments.
