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CWA # 1697
Global Politics Explainer
The WHO Pandemic Agreement: What and Why

  Merin Treesa Alex
6 June 2025

The agreement would launch a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) to increase global collaboration. Scientists will share pathogen samples and sample data through a network of laboratories worldwide, enabling faster development of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments.

On 20 May, the World Health Organisation in its 78th World Health Assembly, adopted a Pandemic Agreement after three years of negotiation. The resolution was adopted with 124 countries voting in support, and 11 countries abstained from voting. The US would not be bound by the agreement.
 
What is the WHO Pandemic Agreement?
The WHO Pandemic Agreement is a legally binding agreement under the WHO Constitution. It is the second agreement after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It follows a “One Health” approach, which recognises the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health to contain the spillover of disease from animals to humans. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the gaps, such as unequal access to vaccines and global cooperation. The agreement seeks to enhance pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response by promoting information sharing and ensuring transparent, inclusive cooperation among the global community.

The agreement would launch a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) to increase global collaboration. Scientists will share pathogen samples and sample data through a network of laboratories worldwide, enabling faster development of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. Following the adoption of a PABS annexe, which is set to be adopted in the 2026 World Health Assembly, after which the agreement will be open for signature and ratification, and would come into effect after 60 countries ratify it, though the agreement follows a no penalty policy for non-compliance.

The agreement establishes a coordinating financial mechanism and a global supply chain and logistics network, both overseen by the IGWG, to ensure equitable distribution of resources. Pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the PABS will allocate 20 per cent of their real-time production of pandemic-related products, such as vaccines and treatments, to the WHO. The distribution of these products would be based on risk assessments and urgency, particularly in developing countries.

Why was the Pandemic Agreement adopted?

First, the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as loss of lives, economic setbacks, and inequities in accessing the vaccines and treatments, prompted the international community to come together for a collaborative approach to prevent future pandemics. In March 2021, the WHO announced its plan for a pandemic agreement to address these challenges. Following this, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was established to draft and negotiate the agreement, aiming to enhance pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The INB conducted negotiations, including 13 formal meetings and 9 extended sessions, to draft the agreement. On 16 April 2025, the INB submitted the final draft, which was approved on 19 May 2025 by 124 countries, with 11 countries - Iran, Israel, Slovakia, Russia, Poland, Italy, and five others abstaining. The agreement was formally adopted the following day, reflecting a global collaboration on the need for collective pandemic response mechanisms.

Third, the agreement’s primary goal is to ensure equitable access to essential pandemic resources, particularly for low-income countries that faced shortages during COVID-19. By strengthening the global health architecture, it aims to foster resilience against future pandemics. However, its effectiveness will depend on the commitment and cooperation among the international community.

What about the US?

The US withdrawal from the WHO Pandemic Agreement negotiations is followed by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his second day in office during his second term, which started in January 2025. The decision mainly stems from the concerns about WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its inefficiencies. The US is a major contributor to the WHO’s budget.

President Trump criticised the WHO of mismanaging the COVID-19 response, particularly its failure to thoroughly investigate the pandemic’s origins, and for imposing an undue financial burden on the US, which provides approximately 19% of the WHO’s funding. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that the agreement would “lock in all the dysfunctions” observed during the COVID-19 crisis, and that the agreement would not address the issues. The executive order halting US participation in the negotiations has raised concerns about its implications, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry. US and EU have supported strong patent protections for pharmaceutical companies, prioritising profits and innovation. this can limit access to affordable medicines and vaccines, especially in lower-income countries. The report also mentioned US opposition to licensing middle-income countries to produce drugs and vaccines during pandemics. This decision could impact international cooperation and the equitable distribution of critical medical resources. 
 

References

World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics” World Health Organization, 20 May 2025

https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/1948/04/19480407%2010-51%20PM/Ch_IX_01p.pdf

WHO Member States conclude negotiations and make significant progress on draft pandemic agreement

Member States approve WHO Pandemic Agreement in World Health Assembly Committee, paving way for its formal adoption,” WHO, 19 May 2025

“The Pandemic Agreement - What it is, and what it is not,” CEPI, 24 April 2025

Nations adopt historic pledge to guard against future pandemics | UN News

What a US exit from the WHO means for global healthcare | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera

About the author

Merin Treesa Alex is a postgraduate student in the department of International Studies at Stella Maris College. She is currently a research intern at NIAS. Her areas of interest include China in East Asia and Latin America and also in space, conflicts and climate change.

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