Just as mis- and disinformation undermined the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so mis- and disinformation is undermining the negotiations on the Pandemic Accord and the amendments to the International Health Regulations, which are designed to keep the world safer from future pandemics.
A major barrier is the litany of lies and conspiracy theories about the agreement. They put the health of the world’s people at risk. The pandemic agreement will not give WHO any power over any state or any individual, for that matter. We cannot allow this historic agreement, this milestone in global health, to be sabotaged by those who spread lies, either deliberately or unknowingly.– Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director-General of the World Health Organization
In December 2021, WHO’s Member States decided at a Special Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), representing all regions of the world, to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (also known as the “CA+”). At the end of two weeks of discussions in March, Member States agreed to resume negotiations aimed at finalizing a pandemic agreement from April 29th to May 10th.
Member States must continue on the path they commenced in 2021 to negotiate a Pandemic Accord, to ensure the world does not suffer the effects of a pandemic again, as it did during COVID-19. Such encouragement to stay the course is vital in the face of the deluge of mis- and disinformation targeting governments and the process they lead.
UNITE shared a series of questions and explanations about the Pandemic Accord and its negotiations, debunking myths and misinformation or disinformation on its social media channels. Click on the images below to find out more.
