World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics – PAHO/WHO
Geneva, Switzerland, May 20, 2025 (PAHO/WHO) – Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus the first in the world Pandemic agreement. The historical decision of the 78th World Health Assembly culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and promoted by the objective of making the world safer, and more equitable in response to future pandemics.
«The world is safer today thanks to the leadership, collaboration and commitment of our member states to adopt the Historical Pandemic Agreement of WHO,» said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, general general director. «The agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure that, collectively, we can better protect the world from future threats of pandemics. It is also a recognition of the international community that our citizens, societies and economies should not be vulnerable to losses newly suffered such as those suffered during COVID-19».
Governments adopted the WHO pandemic agreement today in a plenary session of the World Health Assembly, the maximum decision -making body. The adoption continued yesterday’s approval of the vote agreement (124 in favor, 0 objections, 11 abstentions) in the committee by delegations of the Member State.
«Starting during the apogee of the Covid-19 pandemic, the governments of all corners of the world acted with great purpose, dedication and urgency, and in doing so exercise their national sovereignty, to negotiate the historical agreement that Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, the secretary of the Philippines Department of Health and the President of the World Health of this year has been adopted today.» Now that the agreement has been returned to this year. » Life, we must all act with the same urgency of implementing its critical elements, including systems to guarantee equitable access to health products related to the pandemic that saves lives. As Covid was a unique emergency in life, the WHO pandemic agreement offers a unique opportunity in the future. «
The WHO pandemic agreement establishes the principles, approaches and tools for better international coordination in a variety of areas, to strengthen global health architecture for the prevention, preparation and response of the pandemic. This includes through equitable and timely access to vaccines, therapies and diagnoses.
RUGDING National Sovereignty, The Agreement State That: “Nothing in the Who Pandemic Agreement Shall Be interpreted as providing the secretariat of the world health organization, including the director-general of the world health organization, Any Authority to Direct, Order, an alter or otherwise and/or domestic law, as approprot, or Polies of Any Party, or to mandate or Otherwise Impose Any requirements that parties Take Specific Actions, Such as Ban Or Accept Travelers, Impose Vaccination Mandates Or therapeutic or diagnostic measures or implement blocks. «
Region of the Americas
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) played a crucial role to ensure that the countries of the Americas were heard during the three -year negotiation process. The organization convened four meetings in a person who gathered representatives of the Ministries of Health and their diplomatic missions to ensure that each country in the region had access to all the necessary information and could actively participate in the negotiation process,
Highlighting the importance of unity and commitment between nations, «this agreement marks an important step forward in the preparation of global pandemic,» said PAHO director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. «A key approach is to guarantee equitable access to vaccines, medications and health technologies, which was a critical problem highlighted by the deeply unequal distribution facing our region during the Covid-19 Pandemia.»
However, «while we celebrate this collective achievement, we also recognize that the work is in progress. We must continue supporting countries to strengthen their abilities, not only for future pandemics but also to respond effectively to current outbreaks such as avian influenza, dengue, yellow fever and holiness.»
Notes for editors
He resolution on the WHO pandemic agreement adopted by the World Health Assembly establishes measures to prepare for the implementation of the agreement. It includes the launch of a process to write and negotiate a pathogen access system and share benefits (PAB) through an intergovernmental work group (IGWG). The result of this process will be considered in the World Health Assembly next year.
Once the Assembly adopts the PABS Annex, the WHO Pandemic Agreement will be open for the signature and consideration of ratification, even by national legislative bodies. After 60 ratifications, the agreement will enter into force.
In addition, the Member States also ordered the IGG to initiate the steps to allow the configuration of the Financial Mechanism for Coordination for Pandemic Prevention, Preparation and Response, and the Global Supply Chain Net International Health.
According to the agreement, pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in the PABS system will play a key role in equitable and timely access to health -related health products by making available to the WHO «fast access to 20% of its real -time production of safe, quality and effective, therapeutic and diagnostic vaccines for the pathogen that causes the pandemic emergency.» The distribution of these products to the countries will be carried out on the basis of the risk and the needs of public health, with special attention to the needs of developing countries.
The WHO Pandemia Agreement is the second international legal agreement negotiated under article 19 of the OSS Constitution, the first is the WHO frame convention on tobacco control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005.
