EXCLUSIVE: “The Major Battle That Was Fought Was On The Set-Asides”: Brazilian INB Vice-Chair On Pathogen Access & Benefits Sharing In The Pandemic Agreement

Newsletter Edition #130 [Treaty Talks]

Hi,

A new Pandemic Agreement was adopted last week at the World Health Assembly. We have been reporting on the associated negotiations for over three years.

We were keen on tapping into reflections on these negotiations, of those most closely involved in this historic process.

Today, we bring you a comprehensive interview with Brazilian Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, who has been a part of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body that worked on the instrument. This is first of a two-part interview series that help us understand these discussions from the inside. (We will follow up with another interview with a member of the Bureau.)

In this edition, we present this interview both in the audio format, and in text.

There will be more from us in the coming days as we bring you updates and insights from the Assembly which concludes today.

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Until later!

Priti

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Illustration Credit: Amy Clarke, Chembe Collaborative

I. THE FILES INTERVIEW

“The Major Battle That Was Fought Was On The Set-Asides”: Brazilian INB Vice-Chair On Pathogen Access & Benefits Sharing In The Pandemic Agreement

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Just ahead of the 78th World Health Assembly that saw the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, spoke with Geneva Health Files in an exclusive interview, sharing his perspectives on process, strategy and outcomes in these negotiations. He is also the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and steered discussions on both financing, and the Pathogen Access Benefits Sharing system - key elements of the new agreement.

We present an audio file, and a lightly edited transcript of this illuminating interview.