The World Health Organization (WHO) has drafted a pandemic treaty after years of negotiations. The international agreement means that countries and international organizations will work together better to prevent and combat crises such as the corona pandemic.
“This treaty is a victory for public health, science and broad cooperation,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a response to the agreement.
Delegations from the member states responded with applause to the treaty. According to Ghebreyesus, the agreement lays the foundation for a better fight against crises in the future.
124 countries voted in favor of the pandemic treaty. There were no opposing votes. However, eleven countries abstained from voting, including Russia, Israel, Iran, Slovakia, Portugal and Italy.
Agreement must still be reached on an important part of the treaty: the sharing of information about biological pathogens, so that action can be taken quickly in the event of an outbreak. After that, member states must still ratify the deal.