The World Health Organization revealed that "talks aimed at drafting a global charter to aid in combating future pandemics ended without reaching a draft agreement by the expected deadline, but some progress has been made." The organization, which is hosting the negotiations led by member states, stated in a statement that "countries failed to meet the deadline and will now continue negotiations in the coming weeks ahead of the General Assembly."
Co-chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body leading the talks, Brihaspati Matsusso, noted that "this is not a simple maneuver... achieving this means doing it right." The aim of the document, along with a series of amendments to existing rules for handling pandemics, is to strengthen the world's defenses against new pathogens after the COVID-19 pandemic killed millions of people.
However, experts stated that the negotiation process has been obstructed by deep disagreements, especially concerning equity, and the timeline for reaching an agreement has always been ambitious. The agreement has had a political character for some countries. Negotiators from the 194 member states of the World Health Organization hoped to reach a final draft agreement by the end of yesterday, with the expectation of adopting a legally binding text at the organization's General Assembly later this month.
