CHRISTOPHER BLACKWorld Health OrganizationAFP
Years of negotiations culminated in the wee hours of Wednesday, with countries agreeing on the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics. The accord aims to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made during the COVID-19 crisis.
After more than three years of talks and a final marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organisation's headquarters could finally pop the champagne corks at around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) Wednesday.
"The nations of the world made history in Geneva today," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
"In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats."
Five years after COVID-19 killed millions of people and devastated economies, a growing sense of urgency hung over the talks at a time when new health threats ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola were lurking.
The final stretch of negotiations also occurred with cuts to US foreign aid spending and threatened pharmaceutical tariffs, casting a new shadow over the talks.
Right until the last minute, disagreement had lingered over a few thorny issues.
Sources told AFP that negotiations had stumbled over the agreement's Article 11, which deals with transferring technology for pandemic health products.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, poorer countries accused rich nations of hoarding vaccines and tests.
Countries with large pharmaceutical industries have strenuously opposed the idea of mandatory tech transfers, insisting they be voluntary.
It appeared that the tech transfer obstacle could be overcome by adding that any transfer needed to be "mutually agreed upon."
Ultimately, the 32-page agreement was highlighted in green, indicating WHO member states had fully approved it.
"It's adopted," Anne-Claire Amprou, co-chair of the negotiations, announced to thundering applause.
The finalised text will be presented for sign-off at the WHO's annual assembly next month.
As intense talks continued in corridors and closed rooms at the WHO headquarters, Tedros joined the negotiations late Tuesday and told reporters he thought the current draft was "good" and "balanced" and that a deal would bring "more equity."
While taking measures to coordinate pandemic prevention, preparedness and response could be costly, Tedros insisted that "the cost of inaction is much bigger".
"Virus is the worst enemy. (It) could be worse than a war," he said.
The United States, which has slashed foreign aid spending and thrown the global health system into crisis, was not present. After taking office in January, US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the United Nations' health agency and from the pandemic agreement talks.
However, the absence of the US and Trump's threat to slap steep tariffs on pharmaceutical products still hung over the talks, making manufacturers and governments more jittery.
But in the end, countries reached consensus.
"The world is watching us, and you can be very proud of what you have just achieved," Amprou said.
© Agence France-Presse
