Agenda Item 15.1 – Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience

Thank you chair,

While Health Action International welcomes the willingness expressed by many in the last 18 months to go beyond ‘business as usual’ when preparing for the next, probably inevitable, pandemic we need to express our uneasiness regarding the current state of negotiations for a new international pandemic instrument and the proposals being put forward in the revision of the international health regulations.

Although we recognise that these are processes led, on the whole, by member states, it is unacceptable that some governments and a few stakeholders would pre-empt the text of a new international treaty with binding clauses on critical issues, such as IP, technology transfer or transparency in R&D. That said, we support some of the arguments being presented by the African group in the IHR amendment process that address barriers to access to health technologies during pandemics and other emergencies.

We support the efforts by the international community to find innovative global solutions to common global problems and we remain engaged and ready to collaborate and contribute. However, cannot invest in or support any process that does not honestly seek a sustainable and comprehensive solution to ensure access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to all in need.

-End-

(check against delivery)

May 2023

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