The World Health Organization’s (WHO) push to agree on a global pandemic treaty before its scheduled meeting of health officials Monday has failed. But Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insists worldwide pandemic response guidelines are still possible. One proposal put forth in the drafting process would put the onus on the WHO director-general to declare a worldwide “pandemic emergency.”Representatives from member countries met Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, to kick off the WHO’s77th annual World Health Assembly, where they are to discuss how nations should handle a hypothetical “next pandemic” — which many officials believe is “inevitable.”The WHO in imposing its not-yet-drafted pandemic treaty hopes to enforce new methods of preparation and battling a global pandemic — yet is having trouble getting member countries to agree. Further, there has been enormous public pushback given the kind of control the treaty would allocate to unelected foreign officials. Despite the pandemic treaty flop, Ghebreyesus in his opening marks Monday insisted it would still be possible to move forward, and claimed the work on the treaty so far was an “immense” task and had a “very ambitious timeline.”Video footage on social media shows Ghebreyesus attributing the failed policy to “mis- and disinformation” and emphasized the importance for WHO member countries to collaborate "to get this done.""You have operated amid a torrent of mis and disinformation that was undermining your negotiation,” he said. “Of course, we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and cross the finish line, but I remain confident that you still will because where there is a will there is a way.”"I know that there remains among you a common will to get this done. So, there must always be a way. It's now for this World Health Assembly to decide what that way is, meaning the solution is in your hands."“It’s now for this World Health Assembly to decide what that way is — meaning the solution is in your hands.”.The treaty, which has been in the works since December 2021, was shelved Friday before this week’s assembly due to disagreements pertaining to the sharing of pathogen intel, and the “transfer of technology” (like vaccines) to combat the unknown, hypothetical virus. Another issue is where the funding will come from to pay for the ambitious agenda, which the WHO hopes to have ready by 2030 “particularly in developing countries.”Given the failure of creating the new treaty WHO members were aiming for, the director-general said last week the best option for now is to modify existing policies.To do all this, the WHO’s 2004 International Health Regulations would need to be amended to include global alerting systems, detection and containment capacities, and the requirement member countries must cooperate internationally, the Associated Press reported. The policy changes would require a united response from each country involved..Yuanqiong Hu, a senior legal and policy adviser at Doctors Without Borders, stressed the need for the WHO to get organized so the annual meeting isn’t a “huge missed opportunity.”“If they don’t come up with a clear road map, how are they going to finish this process?” said Hu, per the AP. A delegation of 120 people from China attended the annual meeting armed with more than 60 agenda items, the publication noted. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told attendees through a video call the pandemic treaty was a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to ensure speed and “equitably” should there be another pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is fully onboard in establishing global pandemic laws. “A pandemic agreement can help nations avoid and reduce the devastating health, social and economic consequences of a potential future pandemic. Canada supports the development of a pandemic agreement to improve global cooperation, strengthen collective action and accountability (and) address gaps in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,” the Government of Canada website states. The official opposition however, led by Conservative MP Dr. Leslyn Lewis, has launched a petition to roadblock the Liberals’ agency to marry Canada to a global body of unelected health officials. People’s Party of Canada Maxime Bernier has been vocal about the position Canadians could fund themselves in should powers be handed over to foreign interests. Critics generally oppose the treaty due to the threat of an encroaching authoritarianism and one world government.
