Under the title "Intensive Meetings on Global Health... and Consensus on an International Treaty to Address Pandemics," the Arabic website reported that meetings will commence today, Monday, in Geneva, lasting for three days, organized by the World Health Organization to discuss the latest developments on the new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron. On Sunday, diplomats stated that WHO member states reached a preliminary consensus to negotiate a future treaty to tackle pandemics, following a narrowing of the gap between two parties led by the European Union and the United States.
The diplomats added that a draft resolution, achieved during the negotiations earlier this week, will be presented to health ministers for approval at the special WHO meeting that starts today. The diplomatic breakthrough comes amid increasing international concern regarding the new variant of the coronavirus, "Omicron," which was first discovered in South Africa this month and continues to spread globally.
It is expected that the international treaty aimed at enhancing pandemic prevention and improving response will be ready by May 2024, covering issues such as data sharing, genome sequencing of emerging viruses, and potential vaccines and drugs resulting from medical research. Simon Manley, the UK's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, stated: "This decision to create a negotiating body for a future pandemic agreement may only be the beginning, but the apparent flexibility and broad support are good indicators for upcoming efforts."
Britain, alongside the European Union and about 70 other countries, has pushed for a legally binding treaty. Last week, diplomats said that the United States, supported by countries including Brazil and India, was hesitant to commit to a binding treaty. An European diplomat remarked, "A text has been agreed upon that is very satisfactory for us. It also provides a way out for the Americans from the crisis with the Europeans regarding the text." Another diplomat noted, "It's a good outcome... there was a lot of goodwill to achieve common language." A draft of this resolution was published on the World Health Organization's website.
