The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’s statement to the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
The Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement (IGWG) exists because of the deadly and costly lessons learnt from COVID-19, and the collective decision in the aftermath to say: ‘this can never happen again.’
The IGWG now has the duty to succeed in its negotiations and secure a safer world for all of us, and for generations to come.
Recalling that COVID-19 swept through almost every country in just four months and led to the deaths of some 28 million people is to recall the speed and scale of a new pathogen.
Faced with such power, multilateralism, anchored in mutual security, is our only defence.
When a new pandemic threat arises, every nation will rely on others: for timely information, expertise and innovation, scientific collaboration, tools, supply chains, and financing.
As the IGWG negotiates the PABS Annex this week, keep your eyes on the horizon and the mutual security you must achieve together.
No one wants to repeat the catastrophe of COVID-19, including the failure of a transactional approach to countermeasures.
By ratifying the Pandemic Agreement, countries will make a lasting legal commitment that strengthens their security and the security of the world. It is a commitment that will outlast political cycles and will stand long beyond the duration of any non-binding bilateral MOUs. The Pandemic Agreement must take precedence.
We rely on the IGWG to take the long view – and deliver the Pandemic Agreement the world needs. Every life will be shaped by the decisions you make this week.
End.
About The Independent Panel
The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response was established to provide an independent review and recommendations on global pandemic preparedness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-chaired by former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, the Panel continues to monitor progress and advocate for strengthened global health security.
Media Contact: Secretariat@IndependentPanel.org