In a significant breakthrough, a milestone political declaration was adopted at the world’s first-ever summit on pandemic prevention and response. Nations participating in the summit also pledged to redouble their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Addressing the momentous occasion, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), heralded the declaration as a “historic milestone” in the critical endeavor to safeguard people worldwide from the devastating impacts of pandemics. He emphasized the importance of world leaders’ commitment to providing the necessary political support and guidance, enabling WHO, governments, and all stakeholders to protect global health and take tangible steps towards strengthening local capacities, ensuring equity, and fortifying the global emergency health infrastructure.
The declaration’s formulation involved extensive negotiations over several months to refine and reach consensus on actions at national, regional, and global levels. It will be formally submitted to the General Assembly for endorsement in due course.
Key Highlights of the Political Declaration:
The declaration underscores the urgency for Member States to conclude negotiations on a formal agreement regarding pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, often referred to as the Pandemic Accord. These negotiations should also involve targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations by May of the following year.
It calls upon States to address the adverse physical and mental health consequences resulting from health-related misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and stigmatization, particularly on social media platforms. Instead, it advocates for public information campaigns grounded in scientific evidence and facts.
Member States commit to reinforcing their healthcare workforces and enhancing rapid response capabilities, surveillance systems, and local manufacturing capacities. These measures will empower countries to meet their own requirements for preventing, preparing for, and responding to pandemics.
Reflecting on the significance of the declaration, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted that the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated both human ingenuity and the glaring inadequacies of society. While celebrating achievements such as rapid test and vaccine development, he also noted the lack of preparedness, disproportionate impacts on the world’s most vulnerable populations, and vaccine hoarding by affluent nations.
Guterres emphasized the imperative of not repeating past mistakes when faced with future pandemics and health threats. He called on countries to lend their support to the WHO, including by increasing their financial contributions, as an essential step in the pursuit of global health security.
