Leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help the world deal with future health emergencies similar to the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging the globe.
The idea of such a treaty, which would ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for pandemics, was floated by the chairman of European Union leaders Charles Michel at a G20 summit last November.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus endorsed the idea at its Governing Body in January, but formal negotiations have not begun, diplomats say.
"The time to act is now. The world cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is over to start planning for the next one. We must not allow the memories of this crisis to fade and go back to business as usual," Tedros said during a virtual news conference.
The WHO has faced criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and was accused by the former US administration of President Donald Trump of helping China shield the extent of its outbreak, which the agency denies.
The treaty proposal got the formal backing of the leaders of Fiji, Portugal, Romania, Britain, Rwanda, Kenya, France, Germany, Greece, Korea, Chile, Costa Rica, Albania, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Senegal, Spain, Norway, Serbia, Indonesia, Ukraine and the WHO.
Speaking at the same news conference, Michel said, "COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses and divisions across our societies and now, it is time to come together as one global community to build a pandemic defense for future generations."
The main goal of such a treaty would be to strengthen the world's resilience to future pandemics through better alert systems, data sharing, research and the production and distribution of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and personal protective equipment, they said.
The treaty would also state that the health of humans, animals and the planet are all connected and should lead to shared responsibility, transparency and cooperation globally.
Tedros said the treaty would help to tackle gaps exposed by COVID-19, strengthen implementation of international health regulations and also provide a framework cooperation in areas such as pandemic prevention and response.
"The treaty, which could be taken forward by the World Health Assembly, would be based on the WHO constitution including the principles of health for all and no discrimination," Tedros said, adding that it was for WHO member states to determine the content and whether it was ratified.
He also said that the United States and China have reacted positively to the proposal.