WHO expects pandemics treaty to be ready by May
The treaty against pandemics proposed by the EU and backed in a joint communiqué by 25 heads of state and government could be ready for signature as early as next May, according to the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"The 194 WHO member states will now begin negotiations and we hope to have a resolution in May, when the General Health Assembly takes place," Tedros said at a press conference to present the proposed treaty, which aims to better prepare the planet against future pandemics.
While the content of the agreement will depend on those negotiations, Tedros expressed interest in at least three key points: sharing prevention and emergency measures, information on pathogens (viruses and other causes of disease) and tools to combat epidemics, including medicines, vaccines and tests.
"The world cannot afford to wait until the current pandemic is over to prepare for the next one," said the Ethiopian expert, who noted that the health crisis "has exposed failures in national, regional and global epidemic preparedness systems".
Tedros also noted that the pandemic "has shown how much we need a universal commitment", a treaty that "provides a framework for international cooperation and solidarity".
The future treaty, he said, could build on foundations already present in the WHO constitution, including the principles of "health for all" and non-discrimination.
Among the heads of state and government signing the petition for an international treaty against pandemics are British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the presidents of Chile (Sebastián Piñera) and Costa Rica (Carlos Alvarado Quesada) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The presidents of France (Emmanuel Macron), Spain (Pedro Sánchez), Indonesia (Joko Widodo), South Africa (Cyril Ramaphosa) and South Korea (Moon Jae-in), among others, will also be present.
Tedros played down the importance of the absence of leaders from countries such as the United States, Russia and China in this call, indicating that for now it is only a letter of intent, and that all WHO member states will participate in future negotiations.
Also taking part in Tuesday's press conference was the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who evoked the idea of a treaty against pandemics on behalf of the EU last year and stressed that a document of this type "can improve prevention and response to future pandemics".
"The question is not whether there will be a next pandemic, but what it will be like. We must be ready for it and we have no time to lose," Michel said, stressing that to improve future response, the transparency and accountability of the international emergency preparedness system must be improved.
"COVID has exposed weaknesses and divisions in our societies, and it is time to come together as a global community to build a defence for future generations beyond this crisis," he concluded.