The official concluding statements by the UN and WHO at the completion of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York regarding the High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response are summarized as follows:
United Nations
The high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response will focus on the theme: “Creating and maintaining political momentum and solidarity for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response“. Plenary Segment: Statements by Member States and members of the United Nations specialized agencies. Issued on 20 Sept 2023.
WHO statement on the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response:
The World Health Organization welcomed today’s historic commitment shown by global leaders, at the UNGA, to strengthen the international cooperation, coordination, governance, and investment needed to prevent a repeat of the devastating health and socioeconomic impact caused by COVID-19, make the world better prepared for future pandemic, and get back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The first-ever head of state summit on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is a historic milestone in the urgent drive to make all people of the world safer, and better protected from the devastating impacts of pandemics,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I welcome this commitment by world leaders to provide the political support and direction needed so that WHO, governments and all involved can protect people’s health and take concrete steps towards investing in local capacities, ensuring equity and supporting the global emergency health architecture that the world needs.”
The political declaration, approved by Mr Dennis Francis, President of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (2023), and the result of negotiations under the able leadership of Ambassadors Gilad Erdan of Israel and Omar Hilale of Morocco, underscored the pivotal role played by WHO as the “directing and coordinating authority on international health,” and the need to “commit further to sustainable financing that provides adequate and predictable funding to the WHO, which enables it to have the resources needed to fulfil its core functions. “Issued on 20 Sept 2023
Neither the UN nor the WHO statement mentions the number of world leaders or heads of state, who approved the crucial WHO documents, the severely revised (more than 90 points of revision) International Health Regulations (IHR), including the Pandemic Treaty – which is actually no longer a treaty, as it is planned to ram it through during the next World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2024 – making the new IHR effective without a vote. See full interview with Dr. Astrid Stuckelberger here.
