CIVICUS discusses the Pandemic Agreement with Jaume Vidal, Senior Policy Advisor at Health Action International, an international civil society organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that works to realise the human right to health, with a special emphasis on access to health technologies.
On 20 May, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on the agreed text so far of the Pandemic Agreement. Now the global health community faces the task of realising the agreement. Born from the failures exposed by COVID-19, the treaty process secured agreement from 124 states despite deep global divisions and US withdrawal. Yet what was adopted represents the minimum of what’s needed, with the most contentious issues – pathogen access and benefit sharing – deferred for future negotiations. With the treaty needing 60 ratifications to enter into force and the absence of the USA casting doubt over its effectiveness, the agreement embodies both the promise and limitations of multilateral cooperation.
