Newsletter Edition #156 [Treaty Talks]
Readers,
The negotiations on the Pathogen Access Benefit Sharing system at the WHO, is turning out to be a contest on "Who Blinks First". Neither sides have.
So the test of the nerves continues. These talks are on the knife’s edge, and it would be shortsighted to predict what happens next.
I have unpacked scores of conversations I had with a range of negotiators, experts and interested stakeholders last week. I present what we observed, and potential indications on what to expect in the coming weeks.
Reporting on these negotiations has been a fluid, immersive experience to listen to how these discussions unfold on the negotiating floor. Grateful to everyone who shared their insights, observations, letting me witness vulnerabilities, frustrations, and sometimes humane and hilarious conversations between delegates, at the basement auditorium of the WHO, where these negotiations have taken place for five years. Thank you for the trust. What a privilege to write for this readership.
And just to restate: we report on facts, and are on the side of public interest. Lazy accusations that we are biased is unhelpful, and an inaccurate categorization of our efforts.
Thank you for your engagement.
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Priti
Priti Patnaik, Founder & Publisher, Geneva Health Files
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Presenting our weekly in-depth analysis on global health that captures the big picture and the nuances like no one else does. This is an exclusive edition for our subscribers.
Developing Countries: Unmoved; Developed Ones: Unyielding. PABS Negotiators Get a Week More To Grasp At Consensus.
WHO member states did not make progress to close the gaps in their positions to agree on a new Pathogen Access Benefit Sharing system. The last round of negotiations that ended on the evening of March 28th last week, was supposed to be the final round of negotiations. The Intergovernmental Working Group set up to negotiate the PABS – an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, decided to hold another round of negotiations during April 27th-May 1st 2026. The IGWG will provide an update on the process to the World Heath Assembly in May this year.
On fundamental matters, including how countries would access the information on pathogens, and what kinds of benefits would be obligated under the PABS system, remain unsolved puzzles mired in many, but crucial technicalities. There is also a clear lack of firm political will, which is a bedrock of such a mechanism, that is expected to make a real difference on the ground. To be sure, countries remain committed to see this process to its logical conclusion to consensus, whether that will come to pass remains to be seen.
In this story, we provide an overview on the process and the politics shaping these negotiations; a few key substantive elements; and potential indications on what is coming. All of this is based on documents, and scores of interviews from a cross-section of countries and actors, during the week-long deliberations (March 23rd-28th). We also discuss a hybrid approach to PABS, an informal proposal doing the rounds.