Pandemic Agreement Talks On Borrowed Time, Fate of Amendments to International Health Regulations At Stake

Newsletter Edition #92 [Treaty Talks]

Hi,

The negotiations for a Pandemic Agreement at WHO, have acquired Shakespearean characteristics.

In our update yesterday, we noted that it is not over till it is over. And our hunch was right.

This edition is an account how of countries debated their way forward in these talks, to continue negotiations on the Pandemic Agreement in order to seek consensus before the World Health Assembly in two weeks. Geneva is no stranger to stage-managed, forced multilateralism, it has nevertheless, been eye-opening to witness this.

It is revealing how much these negotiations have been shaped by political, commercial and other interests. WHO member states are dealing with an unfortunate politicization of law-making processes, in a deadly cocktail of nationalism, misinformation and opportunism.

To be absolutely clear, this is not about raising questions about the legitimacy of this process. Our journalism seeks accountability in these discussions to shine light on the risks of short-termism in policy-making, and to dispel misinformation forces. We are solely trying to report on the dynamics in these closed door negotiations that have a wider story to tell.

My deepest gratitude to my sources, experts, observers who helped us understand familiar political motivations underscoring these talks.

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!

We will come back with a reported edition only late next week, as we recover from tracking tumultuous discussions in Geneva during the last three weeks.

Best,

Priti

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

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Illustration Credit: Amy Clarke, Chembe Collaborative

I. ANALYSIS: PANDEMIC AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS

Pandemic Agreement Talks On Borrowed Time, Fate of Amendments to International Health Regulations At Stake

By Priti Patnaik

Nishant Sirohi contributed to this story

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Hours before the scheduled deadline on May 10^th to conclude the negotiations towards a Pandemic Agreement, unable to find consensus WHO member states struggled to find a way to extend the negotiations.

Diplomatic sources told us that countries were divided on devising a way ahead to continue the discussions. While some preferred to take “sufficient” time conclude these crucial talks carefully, groups of countries are keen on having an agreement “at any cost” ahead of the World Health Assembly that begins on May 27th.

Countries have now decided to continue to work till the last mile in an attempt to reach consensus. How they will do so, is less clear at this point.

In this story we describe the dynamics and events that unfolded at the close of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on May 10. Read on.

Image Credit: Photo by Natalie Bond, Pexels