Key facts
- The US blocked a UN political declaration on pandemic preparedness, citing unresolved issues.
- Lawrence Gostin, a global health law expert, stated the US decision "severely weakens" the effort.
- The declaration aimed to foster international cooperation and solidarity in tackling global health threats.
- Italy also rejected the document, and the EU had "red lines" regarding intellectual property.
- The US administration reportedly objected to mentions of equity and universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.
- The declaration was intended to signal commitment and intent, not impose legally binding requirements.
The United States government's decision to block a major global declaration on pandemic preparedness "severely weakens" the effort and signals an intent to disrupt international cooperation, according to Professor Lawrence Gostin, a leading expert on global health law from Georgetown University. The United Nations General Assembly was scheduled to adopt a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response on September 25, following a high-level meeting on the subject. The document aimed for countries to agree on working together to tackle global health threats and acknowledged that the world remains unprepared for future pandemics. However, the US delegate stated it was "not in a position" to support the text, preventing its adoption by consensus. Italy also rejected the document. The EU delegate expressed full commitment to the objective but noted "red lines" concerning intellectual property, specifically whether technology transfer between countries should be voluntary or mandated, which is a key issue in ongoing World Health Organization treaty negotiations. Dr. Erica Schwartz, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicated that critical issues remained unresolved, referencing "the inclusion of divisive ideologies that lack definitional consensus" and mentions of ongoing WHO-led negotiations on the fair sharing of vaccines and drugs. The Trump administration was reportedly unhappy with references to equity and universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. A separate WHO-led agreement on pandemic response is currently on hold due to disagreements over pathogen access and benefit sharing. UN documents of this nature do not impose legally binding requirements but serve as a sign of commitment. Gostin stated that the US decision "severely weakens" the document, signaling a lack of intent to cooperate globally on health threats. Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, expressed disappointment that the declaration was not endorsed, stating that collaboration on pandemics should not be controversial. Eloise Todd, executive director of Resilience Action Network International, called the inability to advance the declaration "unacceptable" and a reminder of challenges in achieving consensus for the global good.