Overview

• After intense negotiations, WHO member states have reached an agreement in principle on a pandemic treaty designed to improve global preparedness and response.
• Key unresolved issues include Article 11 on technology transfers, with debates over mandatory versus voluntary provisions to support developing nations.
• The treaty proposes a global supply chain network to ensure equitable access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics during pandemics.
• The United States remains absent from the negotiations due to its earlier withdrawal from the WHO, complicating multilateral efforts.
• The treaty, driven by lessons from COVID-19’s devastating impact, will undergo final review before formal adoption at the World Health Assembly in Geneva next month.