Today, October 16th, 2024, Parliamentarians from across the globe gathered at the UNITE Global Summit in Berlin to sign a statement in support of the Pandemic Agreement. The statement marks a significant commitment from parliamentarians to strengthen pandemic preparedness, response, and equitable access to health.
“Parliamentarians are the voice of the people and have a crucial responsibility in safeguarding public health,” said Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of UNITE. “The WHO Pandemic Agreement represents a historic opportunity to prevent pandemics and strengthen our global preparedness and response capabilities. By signing this statement, we are not only showing our support for the agreement but also pledging to ensure that its principles of equity, solidarity, and global cooperation are fully realized in every nation.”
The UNITE Global Summit, this year held in collaboration with the World Health Summit (WHS), is a high level gathering with a unique convergence of global parliamentarians, civil society leaders, and health experts. The signing of the Global Parliamentary Statement in Support of the Pandemic Agreement is one of the summit’s key highlights, demonstrating the critical role of parliamentarians in ensuring global health security and safeguarding populations against future pandemics.
The Pandemic Agreement, currently under negotiation by WHO Member States, aims to address gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the threats posed by mpox and other disease outbreaks. It seeks to strengthen global collaboration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. This statement represents Parliamentarians’ commitment to protect their fellow citizens by ensuring that all countries, regardless of resources, have equitable access to the tools, capacities, resources, and healthcare required during pandemics, including to vaccines, treatments, medical supplies, and vital healthcare information
As part of their commitment, parliamentarians will work closely with WHO and other international organizations to ensure that the Pandemic Agreement is implemented in a way that benefits all countries, particularly those with limited resources. The statement signed in Berlin is expected to act as a catalyst for global parliamentary action, fostering collaboration and solidarity among nations.
To read the full press release, click here.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
WHO Media
Email: mediainquiries@who.int
UNITE’s Communications Coordinator
Email: andreia.paisana@unitenetwork.org
Phone: +351 927211817
