Countries gathered to negotiate a new international agreement on the management of future pandemics agreed on Thursday that said pact should be binding, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.
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The economic turmoil and the millions of lives lost to the coronavirus crisis prompted calls for new international defenses strong enough to avert a similar disaster in the future.
The 194 countries of the WHO decided in December to launch the negotiation and drafting of a new instrument international organization for prevention, preparedness and response to pandemics.
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A new agreement that is decided by the member states is drawn up and negotiated by the governments.
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (IOB) held its second meeting in Geneva this week. “The INO has agreed, by consensus, that it will work to conclude a new legally binding international agreement on pandemics,” the WHO said in a statement.
“Like all international instruments, a new agreement that is decided by the member states is drawn up and negotiated by the governments that will take the actions according to their sovereignty,” he added.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the decision, noting that it will protect families and communities. “The importance of a legally binding instrument cannot be overstated: it will be our collective legacy for future generations,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP
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