Lula, WHO chief urge G7 to prioritize pandemic accord

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have issued a joint appeal to the G7 leaders, urging them to make the approval of the Global Pandemic Accord a top priority. In an open letter, they stressed the urgency of finalizing the agreement, particularly the annex designed to swiftly identify pathogens with pandemic potential and facilitate the sharing of genetic information.

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The pending issues will not be resolved solely through technical efforts. They need the clear signal that only a head of government can give: that finalizing this annex is a national priority and that their negotiators can seek consensus with courage rather than caution. Solidarity is our best immunity, but solidarity must be chosen, and it must be chosen from above.

Lula and Tedros highlighted the scientific estimates suggesting a "one in four chance of another pandemic in the next decade." They implored the G7 leaders, who were convening, to signal clearly that approving this annex is a "national priority." They called for their negotiators to be instructed to seek consensus with "courage rather than caution" during the upcoming talks in Geneva.

The appeal addresses concerns raised by opponents regarding potential loss of sovereignty to the WHO. Lula and Tedros clarified that the annex, known as PABS (Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing), explicitly states that the WHO will not gain authority to direct or alter national laws or policies, nor impose measures like lockdowns or vaccine mandates. "Any such decision will continue to rest with sovereign states," they insisted.

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Nothing in the Agreement grants the WHO authority to direct or modify a country's laws or policies, nor to impose measures such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, or vaccination mandates.

Beyond facilitating rapid access to pathogens for research, the PABS system aims to establish a "solidarity clause." This is intended to prevent valuable genetic information from being monopolized by countries and laboratories that might act solely in their own interests. The current ad-hoc approach to pathogen access and benefit sharing, often improvised during crises, is deemed insufficient. The proposed system is founded on the "simple and fair principle" that sharing should be reciprocal.

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Any such decision will continue to rest with sovereign states.