Did the WHO Water Down Its ‘Pandemic Treaty’? Not Really, Experts Say
The latest draft of the WHO “pandemic agreement” no longer states that the document is binding on WHO member states, according to reports circulating widely on blogs and social media. But experts following the treaty negotiations said the latest language is “deceiving.”
Experts pointed out that the latest drafts of the proposed pandemic agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), contain obligations for nations and curtail freedoms for people globally. “There is no victory,” as the proposed IHR amendments give the WHO’s director-general “unlimited legislative and executive powers to declare a pandemic and the measures which need to be taken” — and strengthen existing powers as specified in the current IHR, ratified in 2005.
“So what if the term ‘non-binding’ is no longer crossed out? The document is still binding on nations due to other language, the requirement to report back to the WHO on how well nations are complying, and the new Compliance and Implementation committee, which will ride herd on nations that do not comply,”