Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

A new pandemic playbook: Draft treaty sets out far-reaching new rules for countries

A new pandemic playbook: Draft treaty sets out far-reaching new rules for countries

Countries would need to make significant commitments to ensure equitable access to medical products.

The coronavirus pandemic isn't yet over but countries are already hashing out a new set of rules to respond to the next one.

The draft pandemic treaty that's being negotiated by diplomats in Geneva would require countries to make significant promises to ensure equitable access to pandemic products — commitments that are likely to receive pushback from Big Pharma.

A draft text, obtained by POLITICO, lays the groundwork for discussions that are expected to stretch until May 2024 when the final agreement will be adopted.

Countries have admitted they were not prepared for COVID-19 — which has infected more than 600 million people and claimed an estimated 6.6 million lives — with the crisis characterized by unequal access to vaccines, hoarding of medical supplies, a lack of transparency on procurement deals, and a lack of geographic diversity in the manufacturing of these products.

In its current form, the draft treaty would tie countries into significant commitments to improve access. A key aim? Preventing the “gross inequities that hindered timely access to medical and other COVID-19 pandemic response products” from happening again.

First proposed by European Council President Charles Michel in 2020, the idea was eventually taken up by countries at the World Health Organization. While the final agreement may not take the form of a treaty, the body negotiating the text has already agreed that it should be legally binding.

If agreed by the WHO's members, the consequences would be enormous not only for the countries themselves but for the pharmaceutical companies that develop, manufacture and distribute pandemic countermeasures. In its current form, the text ties countries into commitments that, if implemented, would shake up the conditions around the granting of money for research; would include commitments around the disclosure of prices and contractual terms for pandemic products; and put in place mechanisms to transfer technology and know-how.


Focus on transparency


Among the many provisions in the draft, the draft agreement states that countries should develop mechanisms that “promote and provide relevant transfer of technology and know-how” to potential manufacturers in all regions, with a focus on developing countries.

It also calls for measures that would encourage the sharing of resources for research and development, as well as the development of a set of principles “that ensure that public financing of research and development for pandemic response products results in more equitable access and affordability.” Importantly this would include “conditions on distributed manufacturing, licensing, technology transfer and pricing policies.”

The draft treaty also focuses on the need to establish stockpiles for pandemic products, suggesting the use of pooled mechanisms that are based on public need, with efficient multilateral and regional purchasing mechanisms being used.

Indemnity and confidentiality clauses that plagued decisions around COVID-19 vaccines are also targeted, with a call to implement measures to limit these clauses. The text seeks to ensure that “promoters of research for pandemic response products assume part of the risk (liability) when the products or supplies are in the research phase, and that making access to such pandemic response products.”

The draft treaty also calls for the disclosure of information on public funding for research and development that would include “recommendations to make it compulsory for companies that produce pandemic response products to disclose prices and contractual terms for public procurement in times of pandemics.” In many countries, information on the contractual provisions have remained closely guarded secrets, with transparency campaigners battling to access this information.

There is one provision in the text that will be a double-edged sword for the pharma industry — a call for "rapid, regular and timely" sharing of data on pathogens and genetic sequences. That request comes with the proviso that there is fair and equitable access to the benefits of providing this data. This would be supported by a "comprehensive system for access and benefit sharing."

Industry has called for the prompt sharing of information on potentially dangerous pathogens and has warned against these being used as "bargaining chips" by countries, expressing fear that drawn-out negotiations around the conditions for sharing the data would hamper its ability to respond.


Intellectual property


During the pandemic, Big Pharma has also extensively lobbied against any efforts that would seek to water down its intellectual property rights, even using threats of disinvestment to get its message across. While much has already been hashed out in the draft, issues around intellectual property rights have yet to be resolved.

Multiple proposals are listed in the document that ranges from the more neutral where countries would recognize that the “that protection of intellectual property rights is important for the development of new medical products, but also recognizing concerns about its effects on prices.”

On the more controversial end, one proposal calls on countries to recognize “the concerns that intellectual property on life-saving medical technologies continue to pose threat and barriers to the full realization of the right to health and to scientific progress for all, particularly the effect on prices.”

When it comes to enforcing the treaty, the path forward is unclear. The text states that the governing body will decide at its first meeting the procedures to promote compliance with the text and “if deemed appropriate, to address cases of non-compliance.” The measures would include monitoring, accountability measures and the submission of reports or reviews.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Ontario Manufacturers Warn U.S. Tariffs Could Create Economic 'Ghost Town'
UK and EU Reach Landmark Post-Brexit Deal to Reset Relations
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Trump Demands Probe into Kamala Harris for Paying Celebs to Fake Endorsements
At Age 92, the World’s Oldest President Has No Succession Plan — and That Could Spark a Crisis
U.S. Concerns Mount Over Chinese 'Kill Switch' Components Found in Solar Power Infrastructure
Bipartisan Criticism Surrounds Trump's Cryptocurrency Ventures
Diplomatic Efforts on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Mexican Navy Ship Collides with Brooklyn Bridge, Injuries Reported
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
U.S. and Philippine Forces Test High-Powered Microwave Weapons in Joint Exercise
China Unveils Advanced AI Surveillance Tools at 12th Police Equipment Expo
Japan's Three Major Banks Report Record High Net Profits for Second Consecutive Year
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
US and EU Make Progress in Trade Talks, While Vietnam Negotiations Also Advance
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Testifies About Alleged Abuse
Former Wales Rugby Star Jamie Roberts to Pursue Medical Career
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
Passenger Travels Under Wrong Identity on British Airways Flight
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
After 108 Years: Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Russia and Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks in Three Years — But No Breakthrough Yet
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
KREMLIN has just approved Senator ALEXANDER " THE EXPERIMENT" KARELIN, of Novosibrisk, as Chief Negotiator at the Meeting in ISTANBUL with Ukraine & USA.
Shocking Footage Released: Diddy Caught Dragging Cassie in Brutal Hotel Hallway Assault
Starlink Now Profitable: SpaceX Hits Major Milestone with $11.8 Billion in Revenue
Portuguese Right-Wing Leader Collapses During Campaign Rally
A Pakistani imam in Italy gave a sermon stating that every Muslim should fight the infidels or face ‘catastrophic consequences’.
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen’s Texts with Pfizer CEO Over €35 Billion Vaccine Deal
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
This man went to take $5,000 out his own bank account and was arrested for it
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
CIA Files Reveal Klaus Barbie's Role in Bolivian Drug Trade and Dictatorship Support
Daughter of crypto boss escapes Paris kidnap in latest in series of attacks
U.S. FDA to Remove Oral Fluoride Supplements for Children Amid Gut Health Concerns
Kim Kardashian Testifies in Paris Robbery Trial, Tells Gang Leader: 'I Forgive You'
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Challenges Facing EU Foreign Policy Amidst Diverging Interests
Reports Reveal Alarming Cognitive Decline in Biden Prior to Election Withdrawal
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
×