Countries Find Chaos in Parallel Tracks on Drawing Up New Rules for Health Emergencies, Many Unprepared

Newsletter Edition #003 [Treaty Talks]

Hi,

WTO members have taken more than 18 months to consider suspending a few provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, in the form of a TRIPS Waiver.

But at WHO, member states have set themselves towards negotiating a whole, new legal instrument touching upon different sectors, to be accomplished in less than two years. In fact, within four months, countries are expected to agree on the form of the new instrument and a rough outline of the substantive elements.

This is Geneva, anything is possible. Donors oil the machines that run this complex. But in practice it may not be so smooth.

Our story today looks at the wheels churning in opposite directions. Either the machine will halt and sputter given the inherently contradictory forces, or influential powers will determine it’s direction, as they often have.

And, if the current dynamics on the TRIPS waiver are any indication, it is perhaps a harbinger on how these discussions for a new treaty will look like. (Although some continue to be optimistic.)

We hope you find these Treaty Talks series useful. Our goal is to consistently and systematically follow up on treaty discussions at WHO, but also reflect wider conversations that will influence these negotiations. Write to us if you wish to financially support this reporting project, and if you want to contribute with your insights and perspectives on these negotiations.

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To end on a happy note, here is a recent podcast, in case you missed it last week, where we talk about the vicissitudes of running Geneva Health Files for two years!

Until next week!

Priti

Feel free to write to us: patnaik.reporting@gmail.com or genevahealthfiles@protonmail.com; Follow us on Twitter: @filesgeneva

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STORY OF THE WEEK

Countries Find Chaos in Parallel Tracks on Drawing Up New Rules for Health Emergencies, Many Unprepared

It was never going to be easy.

As countries get deeper into the processes for defining new rules for future health emergencies, many delegations in Geneva and in the capitals, are finding it difficult to keep up with multiple consultations, formal, informal and across different forums.

“It is chaotic and disorganized”, one Geneva-based health diplomat told us this week.

While this is just the beginning of long drawn negotiations, churn and disagreements are to be expected. But it is clear that the processes that guide these negotiations, will undoubtedly determine outcomes.

Most immediately, that there are two competing priorities. One is to agree on the process for amending the International Health Regulations, and the second, is to work in parallel, towards an outline for the substantive elements of a new instrument.

As we have witnessed during the past several months, countries have been divided, or at the minimum, seem unsure on how to proceed.

This story brings you an update on how some of these processes have been taking shape following the recent meeting of the Working group on strengthening WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies. It also takes a close look at the discussions on the amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005).

Photo by Harrison Macourt: Pexels