General Assembly adopts pandemic declaration, but not by consensus

UN General Assembly approves pandemic declaration after consensus effort falls short

Provpnmatrix.com – United Nations Member States have adopted a new political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, underscoring broad support for international health cooperation even as several governments withheld their backing.

The General Assembly approved the text on Monday with 153 votes in favour, three votes against and two abstentions. Argentina, Israel and the United States opposed the declaration, while New Zealand and Paraguay abstained. The result followed the failure of an earlier attempt to approve the measure by consensus during a high-level meeting on 25 September.

Consensus was blocked after objections from the United States and a small number of other countries, sending the declaration back to the full Assembly for a vote. Although the document is not legally binding, its adoption signals the position of a large majority of the 193 UN Member States on how the world should prepare for future health emergencies.

A call for cooperation across borders

The declaration urges countries to reinforce cooperation at national, regional and global levels. It places science, equity and human rights at the centre of pandemic planning, reflecting lessons drawn from the COVID-19 crisis and the unequal ability of countries to respond to major outbreaks.

Chile’s representative captured a central argument behind the measure: pandemics cannot be managed effectively through isolated national action. Infectious diseases can move across borders rapidly, making early warning systems, shared information and coordinated response plans essential for limiting their impact.

“No country, no matter how big it might be or how prepared it might be, can alone address a threat that knows no borders.”

The political declaration also welcomes the adoption last year of the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement, an important framework intended to improve global readiness and response. Its reference to that agreement became one of the disputed elements during the Assembly discussions.

Key negotiations remain unfinished

A major remaining issue is the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system, commonly known as PABS. The Pandemic Agreement cannot be opened for signature until Member States finish negotiating this annex.

The proposed system concerns the sharing of pathogen samples and genetic sequence information. In practical terms, countries that provide material and data connected to an emerging threat would be entitled to a share of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments developed as a result. The aim is to ensure that the benefits of research and product development are not concentrated only in countries with greater manufacturing capacity or financial resources.

Negotiations have stalled amid disagreements between developing countries and some wealthier European countries, along with the United States. The World Health Assembly, which brings together all 194 WHO members, is expected to take up the annex again next May.

The United States had previously raised concerns about what it described as “divisive ideologies that lack definitional consensus,” while also objecting to references in the declaration to the ongoing PABS negotiations. Those differences prevented the September meeting from reaching unanimous approval.

WHO urges countries to follow through

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the General Assembly’s action and called on governments to turn their commitments into concrete progress. His message focused particularly on completing the PABS annex, which is needed before the Pandemic Agreement can move into its signature and ratification stages.

“WHO welcomes this strong commitment by UN Member States to continue working together on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,” said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“The world has come a long way since COVID-19. We urge countries to now fulfil the commitments they have made – especially to finalize negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) annex, so the WHO Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature, begin the process of ratification and enter into force as international law.”

The distinction between the two texts is important. The General Assembly declaration is a political commitment and does not create legal obligations. The WHO Pandemic Agreement, once finalized, signed and ratified by countries, is intended to become an international legal instrument. Progress on the annex is therefore central to determining when that next stage can begin.

Broader UN agenda and new epidemic intelligence strategy

The pandemic declaration was among several matters before the General Assembly on Monday. Delegates also considered draft resolutions related to the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise and a political declaration marking 25 years since the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action against racism.

Separately, WHO launched a five-year strategy for its Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. Established in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hub is designed to help countries identify and interpret emerging health threats faster.

The strategy sets an ambitious objective: detecting new health risks within 24 hours. The wider goal is for every country to have the ability to recognize a potential threat promptly, understand what it may mean and act before an outbreak grows into an epidemic or spreads internationally.

Together, the Assembly vote and the WHO strategy highlight the continuing effort to convert the experience of COVID-19 into stronger global preparedness. The declaration’s passage shows that support for cooperation remains extensive, but the unresolved negotiations over pathogen access and benefit sharing also demonstrate how difficult it remains to agree on the rules that will determine whether future countermeasures are shared fairly and quickly.