Today, the members of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new Pandemic Agreement while setting out the process to finalise negotiations of an Annex to the Agreement on Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing. The Pandemic Agreement contains legally binding rules addressing the gaps in the global ability to face and tackle health emergencies as revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with the amended International Health Regulations, the Pandemic Agreement will strengthen the capacity of countries to prevent and prepare for pandemics with the comprehensive ‘One Health' approach, which recognises the interdependence between human, animal and plant health and their shared environments. 

The Agreement shows the power of international cooperation for global health. Indeed, we know that cooperation is essential to tackle common problems facing humanity. Fighting pandemics that know no borders requires such international collaboration and collective action. | EU statement at WHA78

The agreement will also enable equitable access to vaccines and other medical countermeasures, fostering technology transfers on voluntary and mutually agreed terms and supporting capacity building in countries in need, in full respect of the health policy competencies and responsibilities of individual EU Member States. Its implementation would also allow for a better coordination and a more effective mobilisation of financing efforts. These improvements echo and reinforce the EU Global Health Strategy. 

Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, addressed the World Health Assembly via video message.

A Pandemic Agreement is a decisive step towards a more effective and cooperative global approach to preventing and managing future pandemics, in full respect of the health policy responsibilities and competences of individual EU Member States. It underscores the continued strength of international cooperation and solidarity. The EU will remain at the forefront of global health to protect our citizens and safeguard the prosperity and stability of our societies. | Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare

Full video address of the Commissioner at WHA78:

"More than five years ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a cross-regional group of leaders called on the international community to do something new.

To come together to step up our international cooperation and solidarity so that we can all be better prepared for future pandemics.

Now, the international community has crafted provisions that promise to change how we prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics for the better.

Global cooperation is essential if we want to tackle our shared problems.

Pandemics know no borders.

Fighting them means working together.

Combatting serious cross-border threats to health is essential, both at regional and international level.

It protects the lives of our citizens and the prosperity and stability of our societies.

The Pandemic Agreement has a broad scope.

It ranges from upstream prevention, surveillance of environmental drivers and animal health, all the way to managing the supply chain of pandemic-related health products.

If we achieve all this, and strengthen domestic healthcare systems, we will have a more robust international framework for preparedness and response, in full respect to the health policy competencies and responsibilities of individual EU Member States.

I am sure that the cooperative spirit of the negotiating parties, will continue and grow as we negotiate the remaining part of the agreement.

The European Union will remain at the forefront of efforts to support international cooperation on global health."