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[INTERNATIONAL] · Switzerland, South Africa · 2 sources

Part of situation: WHO Pandemic Treaty Negotiations Stall as Member States Dispute Pathogen‑Sharing Annex (5 clusters)

African Nations Delay WHO Pandemic Agreement Over Annex Dispute

WHO Pandemic Agreement African states Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing 2027 World Health Assembly Geneva negotiations

The World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement, first adopted in May 2025, has been postponed again after a large bloc of African states refused to endorse the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex. Without the annex, the treaty cannot enter into force or be opened for signature.

The disagreement pushed the target deadline from the May 2026 World Health Assembly to the 2027 assembly. Negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, saw pressure from the WHO and the European Union, but African leaders argued the draft reflects a colonial‑style agenda that favours wealthy donors and pharmaceutical corporations over low‑income countries.

Critics, including commentator David Bell, claim the WHO is acting as a vehicle for major financial sponsors such as Bill Gates and large pharma firms. The postponement highlights tensions between global health governance and the sovereignty concerns of developing nations.

Sources

African nations assert themselves and manage to postpone finalisation of WHO’s Pandemic Agreement - The Expose [expose-news.com]
3 months ago
The Pandemic Agreement Fails Again [brownstone.org]
3 months ago