Global unity in motion as countries advance talks on historic WHO pandemic agreement

DCM Editorial Summary: This story has been independently rewritten and summarised for DCM readers to highlight key developments relevant to the region. Original reporting by WHO, click this post to read the original article.

This week, representatives from WHO Member States made progress in developing the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system during resumed talks of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. This system is a key part of the broader pandemic agreement adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2025. From January 20 to 22, 2026, you would have seen Member States engaging in detailed negotiations on the annex to the draft agreement, where they aimed to resolve outstanding issues and move closer to consensus on several points.

The PABS system is being designed to ensure the responsible and transparent sharing of pathogens that have the potential to cause pandemics. It also seeks to promote fairness by ensuring that any benefits—such as vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments—derived from those pathogens are shared equitably. According to Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, co-chair of the IGWG bureau, the latest session helped clarify the group’s progress and highlighted growing agreement in some areas.

Member States originally requested this resumed session to extend discussions from their previous meeting in December 2025. As you follow the developments, you’ll notice a sense of cooperation among countries, with UK co-chair Matthew Harpur praising their efforts to find common ground. He expressed optimism about meeting the upcoming May deadline for finalizing the system.

Looking ahead, further negotiations are planned as countries work to finalize an agreement. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, highlighted the importance of the PABS system as critical for global health security. He thanked Member States for showing a strong commitment to collaborative, multilateral efforts. The final outcome of these talks is expected to be presented at the World Health Assembly in May 2026.