Hi,
One of the escalators at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations’ Geneva offices broke down merely hours after the World Health Assembly began on May 19th this week.
I read some meaning into it. It quite literally could be an indicator of the financial crisis impacting the UN. It also signified the one final effort that delegates had to take to climb up the last flight of stairs to wrap up the Pandemic Agreement negotiations.
Much like what subsequently transpired, the escalator was promptly fixed. Countries adopted the Pandemic Agreement not without some theatre that has often accompanied this process.
In today’s edition, we unpack the final hours before countries adopted the Pandemic Agreement today. We will update this story subsequently.
Thank you for reading.
Also, we are launching our new book on the negotiations on the amendments to the International Health Regulations. If you are interested, and are in Geneva, drop by. Register here, last few spots!
If you find our work valuable, become a paying subscriber. Tracking global health policy-making in Geneva is tough and expensive. Help us in raising important questions, and in keeping an ear to the ground. helps us meet our costs.
Our gratitude to our subscribers who ensure we stay in the game!
Until later!
Priti
Feel free to write to us: patnaik.reporting@gmail.com, Follow us on X: @filesgeneva
I. PANDEMIC AGREEMENT: WHA 78
Multilateralism in Global Health on the Razor’s Edge: Countries Adopt New Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly
By Priti Patnaik & Nishant Sirohi
Ellie Yau contributed to the production of this story.
A rubicon has been crossed.
WHO member states wrought victory on the Pandemic Agreement from populist, well-oiled, anti-science, disinformation forces, by adopting the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly today.
Countries adopted the much-contested, hard-fought Pandemic Agreement with the aim to prevent, prepare and respond better to acute health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out nearly 20 million lives in the worst years during recent times.
The annual World Health Assembly began this week in Geneva on May 19th with an explosive start, when a vote on the draft resolution containing the Pandemic Agreement, precipitated in the proceedings of Committee A, at the request of a single member state - Slovakia. Countries responded by voting in favor of the agreement, including, inexplicably by Slovakia, and with zero votes against the motion.
In this story we recount the discussions as they unfolded. And we also present excerpts of statements made by countries.
