"The Art of the Possible": Unpacking the Negotiations on the Amendments to the International Health Regulations [The Files Interview]

Newsletter Edition #99 [Treaty Talks - IHR]

Hi,

Health diplomats in Geneva have barely recovered from an intense and historic World Health Assembly that concluded on June 1, 2024. But the story is still fresh!

Given the milestone achieved at the Assembly, in terms of adopting the amendments to the International Health Regulations, we were keen on capturing the tension, the drama and the diplomatic nous, all of which combined in this moment, resulting in consensus.

In this edition, I am delighted to bring you an exclusive interview with senior public health experts Ashley Bloomfield and Abdullah Asiri, who led these decisive negotiations on the amendments to the International Health Regulations.

We hope you enjoy reading, and listening, to this behind-the-scenes recounting on the final days and hours that led to consensus, and the eventual adoption of these amendments at the World Health Assembly recently.

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Until later.

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. THE GENEVA HEALTH FILES INTERVIEW

A. IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD

"The Art of the Possible": Unpacking the Negotiations on the Amendments to the International Health Regulations

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On June, 1 2024, member states of the World Health Organization reached consensus on key changes to international rules that govern the response to health emergencies.

Countries adopted the amendments to the International Health Regulations after two years of intense negotiations.

This has been heralded as a success for multilateralism in a period of difficult geopolitical challenges, but the process has also been a triumph of determination in getting more than 190 countries to agree on how the world can better prepare and respond to health emergencies.

Earlier this month, we spoke with Co-Chair Ashley Bloomfield from New Zealand to seek his reflections on the process and the key turning points in these negotiations. We also have a written interview with Co-Chair Abdullah Asiri that follows below.

Being scrupulously fair and shielding the process form political instability were identified by the Co-Chairs as one of the many factors that led to success.

The Working Group to amend the IHR had a six-member bureau.

Read on!