A statement from The Friends of Pandemic Prevention Preparedness & Response
10 November 2026, Geneva
A statement to WHO Member States ahead of week 2 of the Ninth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Pandemic Agreement (IGWG-9) on behalf of the co-conveners of the Friends of Pandemic Prevention Preparedness & Response: the Elders, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, Resilience Action Network International, and FOUR PAWS.
This ninth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group takes place against the backdrop of a deeply concerning and evolving Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The ever growing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak serves as a stark reminder that pandemics and health emergencies are not theoretical future risks. They are a present reality, with devastating consequences for lives, livelihoods, and health systems, requiring urgent efforts to contain the outbreak and accelerate the development of health products.
The lesson from recent years is clear: we cannot wait for the next crisis to determine whether solidarity works. Preparedness, resilient health systems, and equitable access to health products must be built during interpandemic periods – it is too late when alarms are sounding. The Pandemic Agreement provides a framework for doing so, and the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex is an important component of that broader architecture.
PABS alone will not deliver equity. Its effectiveness will depend on the full implementation of the Pandemic Agreement and the broader commitments and mechanisms that support sufficient financing, equitable access, capacity building, technology and knowledge transfer, and international cooperation. Progress on PABS must therefore be accompanied by a continued commitment to the Agreement as a whole.
As negotiators enter the second week of discussions, we welcome the progress achieved during the first week. We have been encouraged by the increased interregional dialogue, coordination and engagement which will be essential to identifying practical pathways forward.
We are nevertheless concerned by the scale of work that remains ahead and the limited time available before the agreed deadline. While meaningful progress has been made, the current pace is unlikely to be sufficient to finalise an effective Annex in time for consideration by the World Health Assembly in late May 2027.
We also welcome the balance that has been struck between formal and informal negotiating settings. While formal negotiations remain indispensable, informal discussions provide valuable space to understand the reasoning behind different positions, build trust, identify areas of convergence and develop solutions.
We further welcome ongoing cross-regional efforts to bridge differences through inclusive, transparent, and solution-oriented engagement. Looking ahead, we encourage continued engagement to this end, particularly among delegations holding strongly differing positions on key issues, within both the formal IGWG process and through informal exchange. Experience across multilateral negotiations shows that sustained dialogue aimed at understanding underlying concerns and identifying practical landing zones can unlock progress on the most challenging questions.
As discussions move into week two, we believe three priority actions will be critical.
First, sustained political leadership and solution-oriented engagement. As negotiations move closer to areas requiring compromise, high-level political engagement and endorsement at ambassador and ministerial level will be essential to help bridge remaining gaps and sustain momentum. This support should also ensure that the Bureau, Co-Facilitators, Secretariat, and negotiators have access to the time, expertise, and operational resources required to complete the work by May.
Second, increased transparency and communication towards relevant stakeholders who have the ability and expertise to support the issues under discussion and the challenges that remain unresolved. We request greater visibility into key questions, as well as regular updates on progress and remaining obstacles. Greater transparency is essential to enabling more meaningful engagement and support to the process.
Third, a clear timeline, milestones and deliverables within a workplan through to May. Success by the May WHA requires a structured roadmap that includes formal, informal, and intersessional work, together with a mandate and clear process to prioritize the most critical elements first and bring progress achieved in informal settings back into the formal negotiations.
Time is of the essence, and every missed opportunity is an obstacle against timely completion. Meeting the May deadline will require an all-hands-on-deck approach. Member States, the Bureau, Co-Facilitators, the Secretariat, academia, technical experts, civil society, and ultimately those responsible for implementing the Pandemic Agreement and PABS System all have a role to play. We are counting on negotiators, Bureau members and Secretariat to deliver while calling on all those whose support and expertise is essential to help address challenges and advance practical solutions. To enable such contributions, greater transparency from the Bureau and Secretariat on emerging needs, areas of divergence and key bottlenecks will be essential.
The world is watching these negotiations not for the design of a model, but for the delivery of a system that works for public health when it matters most. COVID-19 led to at least 22 million excess deaths, cost trillions in loss of economic output, and has been followed by three public health emergencies of international concern. The urgency of the current moment reminds us why this work cannot wait. To date in the Democratic Republic of the Congo nearly 11000 people have been confirmed with Ebola Bundibugyo, over 5200 people have died; women have not gone to hospital to deliver babies because they were afraid, and people have not been able to access other lifesaving care.
We encourage all delegations to build on the positive momentum established during the first week, and work even harder to identify practical solutions to remaining challenges, and engage your political leaders for the attention and resources this essential process demands.
We firmly believe that, with continued commitment and political will, Member States can deliver an ambitious, practical, and equitable outcome in time for the World Health Assembly. We look forward to joining all to celebrate adoption of the PABS annex and the first signatures to the Pandemic Agreement soon after.
About The Friends
Friends of PPPR is an informal platform for organisations working to support progress in making the world safer from pandemic threats. It is co-convened by The Elders, FOUR PAWS, The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, and Resilience Action Network International (rani).