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‘Last piece of the puzzle’ in the WHO pandemic agreement delayed to 2027

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The WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025 contained one crucial proviso: it couldn’t be ratified until one of its most contested elements, the Pathogen Access and Benefit Shifting (PABS) was agreed. Despite an additional year of negotiations, diplomats have failed to bridge diverging views.

“Real progress was made on the PABS annex and I am confident that through continued negotiations differences will be overcome,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Member states should continue approaching the outstanding issues with a sense of urgency because the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. The PABS annex is the last piece of the puzzle.”

Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) Co-Chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes of Brazil said that finalizing a document of such technical and legal complexity requires “precision and dedication”, which he said negotiating parties had shown: “We are not there yet, but with an extension of our negotiations, we will get there.” British Co-Chair, Matthew Harpur said states had demonstrated “strong and continuing commitment”.

Negotiators have been at loggerheads with sharp divisions between low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and wealthier nations. The process was extended for a further week in March in the hopes...

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