Brazilian President Lula and WHO Chief Tedros Urge Global Leaders to Finalize Pandemic Agreement Before July Deadline
Open letter calls on G7, G20, BRICS and all nations to complete the WHO Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex
Geneva/Brasília, June 15: On the occasion of the G7 Summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have issued a joint open letter urging leaders of the G7, G20, BRICS and all nations to provide the political leadership needed to finalize the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, the remaining component required for the WHO Pandemic Agreement to enter into force.
The two leaders recalled the devastating human and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that estimates from WHO and other organizations suggest up to 20 million lives were lost, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates the global economy suffered losses exceeding US$13 trillion.
Final Step Towards Pandemic Preparedness
According to the letter, countries adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement more than a year ago to strengthen international cooperation in preventing, preparing for, and responding to future pandemics. However, the agreement cannot become operational until negotiations on the PABS annex are completed.
The proposed system is designed to enable countries to rapidly share pathogens and their genetic information so that scientists can quickly develop diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines, while ensuring that the benefits arising from such sharing are distributed fairly and equitably among participating nations.
Three Key Appeals to World Leaders
Lula and Dr. Tedros made three major appeals:
- Political Commitment: Heads of government should declare completion of the PABS annex a national priority and empower negotiators to reach consensus during the next round of talks scheduled for 6–17 July.
- Equity in Access: Countries that promptly share dangerous pathogens should be assured equitable access to vaccines, medicines and other medical countermeasures developed from those shared resources. The authors argue that fairness is both a moral responsibility and a practical strategy for containing outbreaks before they become global crises.
- Urgency: The letter stresses that the next pandemic may emerge at any time. Scientific estimates suggest there is nearly a one-in-four chance of another pandemic occurring within the next decade, while climate change, changing land use and advances in biotechnology are creating new risks for disease emergence.
Agreement Does Not Override National Sovereignty
Addressing concerns about sovereignty, the letter states that the WHO Pandemic Agreement does not grant WHO authority to direct or alter national laws or policies, nor can it impose measures such as lockdowns, travel restrictions or mandatory vaccination. Such decisions, it emphasizes, remain entirely within the jurisdiction of sovereign governments.
Lessons from COVID-19
The authors argue that the absence of a clear global mechanism for sharing pathogens and distributing resulting medical benefits contributed to inequalities witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They contend that a finalized PABS framework would provide predictable and transparent rules, allowing scientific collaboration and rapid response during future health emergencies.
The letter also points to ongoing health threats, including the current Ebola outbreak affecting two countries, as evidence that the world cannot afford delays in strengthening pandemic preparedness.
A Call for Collective Action
Concluding their appeal, President Lula and Dr. Tedros urged world leaders to view 17 July as a deadline rather than merely another negotiating milestone. They called on governments to honour the lessons learned from COVID-19 and fulfill what they describe as a collective promise to protect humanity through stronger international cooperation.
The letter states that completing the WHO Pandemic Agreement would represent the next chapter in the global public health achievements that include the eradication of smallpox, progress toward eliminating polio, and international efforts against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
