Developing Countries Mean Business on Equity Provisions in Pandemic Agreement. Will it Count?

Newsletter Edition #65 [Treaty Talks]

Hi,

We bring you a snapshot of the negotiations for a Pandemic Agreement underway in Geneva this week.

At the beginning of a two-week intense period of discussions, we are tracking the movement (or not!), distance between positions of countries, and the vectors that influence the directions of these negotiations.

In this story, my colleague Nishant brings you statements from countries and stakeholders. Our readers tell us they find it useful.

As always, appreciative of our sources who speak to us and educate our readership. Media scrutiny of these discussions is essential.

We are working hard to bring these updates to you, consider supporting us to help absorb reporting costs.

Support public interest global health journalism, become a paying subscriber. Tracking global health policy-making in Geneva is tough and expensive. Help us raise important questions, and in keeping an ear to the ground. Readers paying for our work makes this possible.

Our gratitude to our subscribers who help us stay in the game!

Until later.

Best,

Priti

Feel free to write to us: patnaik.reporting@gmail.com. Follow us on X: @filesgeneva

---

Illustration Credit: Amy Clarke, Chembe Collaborative

I. UPDATE INB8

Developing Countries Mean Business on Equity Provisions in Pandemic Agreement.Will it Count?

Strong Push for Access and Benefits Sharing Mechanism

By Priti Patnaik & Nishant Sirohi

---

Scores of developing countries pulled their weight in a bid to push for equity provisions in a new Pandemic Agreement at the opening of the latest meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), set up to establish a new Pandemic Agreement.

Despite strong intentions, it looks increasingly difficult that objectives to ensure equity in pandemic preparedness and response, will translate into any serious binding obligations, given limited political will and time.

WHO member states are meeting for a two-week marathon meeting where they continue to discuss a proposal for a negotiating text put together by the Bureau of the INB, that to an extent reflects some of the deliberations conducted in smaller groups on a number of different key provisions.

We reported last week, that precious time continues to be spent in yet another round of discussions without countries actually engaging in text-based negotiations. Several countries are second-guessing on the strategy behind the ostensible goal of concluding these negotiations by May 2024.

In his remarks to member states, DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged countries to be open to strike compromises. (See his statement below). A number of developed countries called for pragmatic and realistic approaches to conclude the discussions on time.

In this story, we bring you on and off the record statements from countries and experts as this set of sessions get underway in Geneva. We spoke with numerous negotiators and experts on site at WHO, during the sidelines of the ongoing meeting. 

Image Credit: Photo by Tim Mossholder, Pexels