The next pandemic threat could arise anytime, in any country, and infect every region in a matter of days. Every government will have a duty to protect its population, and every government will have to rely on its global neighbours to do the same. Pathogens have no party affiliations or passports.
As UN Member States continue to negotiate an outcome political declaration for the September UN HIgh-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, we remind them to uphold past pledges and commitments they have made to make the world safer.
In the midst of COVID-19, world leaders were clear: the only way to tackle pandemic threats is together, through collective action.
Commitments of 2021 must be built on today
The G20 Rome Declaration outcome of the May 2021 Global Health Summit affirmed G20-wide government support for collective action for global health, adequate financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and equitable access to pandemic countermeasures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated this collective commitment: “World leaders gave a strong message: Never again. We have learnt the lessons from the current crisis. And we are determined to make COVID-19 the last pandemic.”
Also in 2021, world leaders representing Albania, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, the European Council, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom called for unity at the highest level through a pandemic treaty.
They stressed that “pandemic preparedness needs global leadership for a global health system fit for this millennium” with “a more robust international health architecture that will protect future generations.” They stated: “There will be other pandemics and other major health emergencies. No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone.”
Financing: increase domestic, and $15 billion international
That same year the G20 commissioned the landmark report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, which found that to meet these pledges, international financing for pandemic prevention and preparedness would need to increase by US$15 billion each year, with sustained investments in subsequent years. It called on all countries to finance PPPR needs, noting that low- and middle-income countries could achieve this by contributing about an additional 1% of GDP domestically to health spending. The Panel reiterated this call for financing in its 2025 report.
Equitable access: support for R&D, manufacturing, TRIPS
Member States have also repeatedly recognized that preparedness must include equitable access to lifesaving medical countermeasures. In the 2023 UN Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Member States reaffirmed the right to use, to the fullest extent, the flexibilities contained in the WTO TRIPS Agreement to protect public health and promote access to medicines, particularly in developing countries. They also committed to investing in basic prevention and preparedness capacities, including strengthening local and regional production and supporting technology transfer.
Multilateralism, solidarity, equity
These commitments to solidarity against pandemic threats, including adequate financing and equitable access to countermeasures, matter enormously for our collective preparedness – especially during a fast-moving health emergency like the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC. All regions and subregions must have the financing and capabilities needed to prevent and rapidly respond to health threats, including to rapidly produce vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and other countermeasures they need. The commitments already made to leadership, financing, TRIPS flexibilities, technology and knowledge transfer, and diversified production must not be weakened in the 2026 Declaration.
“As UN Member States consider next drafts of the Political Declaration, they must ask themselves: will the text make the pledge of ‘never again’ a reality? Is it upholding the principles of multilateralism, solidarity and equity?,” said the Right Honourable Helen Clark, Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and a Member of The Elders, both co-convenors of the Friends of the High-Level Meeting on PPPR.
“We say: build on the progress, principles and pledges you have made since COVID-19. Dangerous pathogens have proved time and again that we must build stronger systems and simply cannot afford to retreat.”
About the Friends of the PPPR HLM:
Friends of the PPPR HLM is an informal, time-limited platform for organisations working to support progress in pandemic PPR and specifically working to secure a strong political declaration from the 2026 HLM that contains measurable commitments. It is co-convened by The Elders, FOUR PAWS, The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, and Resilience Action Network International (rani).
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