Historic Pandemic Treaty Agreement Marks Milestone in Global Health Governance

Club de Madrid welcomes the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new international treaty for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, reached on 16 April 2025 under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). The draft treaty will be submitted for adoption at the 78th World Health Assembly, scheduled from 19 to 27 May 2025.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in public health systems, supply chains, and global governance mechanisms, highlighting the urgent need for a strengthened international legal framework. Initiatives such as the Panel for a Global Public Health Convention (PGPHC) and the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) called for a binding treaty. Building on these efforts, WHO Member States initiated the negotiation process in 2021, led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB).

Since the outset, Club de Madrid has actively supported the development of a legally binding instrument to better prepare for future health emergencies. Throughout 2024 and early 2025, Club de Madrid intensified its advocacy efforts, issuing communications to WHO leadership, the INB, and key Member States, urging them to reach a consensus on an ambitious and enforceable agreement. A key moment in this mobilisation was the meeting held in Madrid in December 2024, where Club de Madrid Members met with PGPHC representatives to reinforce calls for a robust treaty.

The final agreement addresses long-standing issues, including zoonotic disease surveillance, technology transfer, and equitable access to medical countermeasures. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding financing health system strengthening and equitable distribution of resources. Adequate financial commitments will be crucial to ensuring the treaty’s success. It is important to note that the United States, having announced its withdrawal from the WHO in January 2025, did not participate in the final round of negotiations and will not be bound by the treaty.

Specialised civil society organisations, such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), praised the agreement made by the INB but stressed that pending efforts still remain to guarantee timely and equitable access to life-saving technologies worldwide. AHF has been a key partner for Club de Madrid in its advocacy work and support to the PGPHC.

Despite these challenges, the new treaty is widely recognised as a historic milestone for global health equity and resilience. The treaty’s adoption would make it only the second legally binding international instrument promoted by the WHO, following the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It represents a decisive step towards building a more resilient, inclusive, and better-prepared global health architecture.

Club de Madrid reaffirms its commitment to working alongside international partners to strengthen the implementation of the treaty and to ensure that no country is left vulnerable in the face of future pandemics.

More information is available in Club de Madrid’s full statement: https://clubmadrid.org/towards-a-safer-world-historic-progress-in-global-pandemic-governance/