Nations fail to reach pandemic accord, talks to resume

Geneva: Two years of talks aimed at striking a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics failed to seal a deal in time and will restart next month for one final push.

Scarred by Covid-19, which shredded economies, overturned societies, crippled health systems and killed millions, countries are trying to craft an international accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

But while they largely agree on the principles of what should be done when the next pandemic strikes, nations are still at odds over how far they are prepared to go to turn those notions into binding commitments.

The ninth and supposedly final two-week round of talks therefore ended on Thursday without finding a breakthrough.

“You are not far away from concluding a deal,” World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told countries as the talks petered out at the WHO headquarters in Geneva.

“I always keep hope alive and I am hopeful that you will.

“The treaty is a life-saving instrument, not merely a piece of paper,” he added. He urged nations to work towards a final agreement by the end of May.

The main issues of contention include shared access to emerging pathogens, better prevention and monitoring of disease outbreaks, reliable financing and transferring pandemic-fighting technology to poorer countries.

Ultimately, the talks have come to the crunch over the balance between richer and poorer nations.

Wealthier states want immediate information-sharing on new and emerging pathogens with pandemic potential, as well as strict – and expensive – preparedness obligations for all countries.

In return, developing countries want water-tight language on technology transfer and equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments. — AFP