At the United Nations (UNGA-78) on Thursday 21 September, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, launched an appeal to all the countries of the world to ensure the adoption, in May 2024, of the WHO agreement or treaty on pandemics, which the EU is calling for (see EUROPE 13199/18, 12921/16), as is the G20 (see EUROPE 13064/22).
“The world needs an ambitious and legally binding instrument to prevent, prepare for and respond to any future pandemics. It must be of benefit to everyone, in particular developing countries and those who are most vulnerable”, said Mr Michel, recalling that, together with WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, he was behind the negotiations, “within the framework of the UN and the WHO”, on this instrument designed to strengthen the WHO and global health governance (see EUROPE 13166/7, 13046/25).
In his view, it is an example of the multilateralism and solidarity needed to “learn the lessons” from Covid-19.
“I call today, very solemnly, on each and every one of us to redouble our efforts to share this goal to reach a compromise, a decision by May 2024. This must be our shared ambition”, he said.
The day before, at a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, Mr Michel recalled that the EU is the leading donor to the pandemic fund, “which has already succeeded in mobilising €2.4 billion in 37 low-income countries”.
He went on to stress that the EU had “understood that the solution was to give production capacity for vaccines, medicines and medical equipment to the African continent - something we are also committed to work on with other regions of the world”.
The treaty under negotiation should give the WHO extensive powers to declare public health emergencies of international concern and impose coordinated measures that countries must take.
See the project: https://aeur.eu/f/8pb (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)