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TIMELINE OF EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS 

The Governing Pandemics Timeline tracks efforts to strengthen global pandemic preparedness and response in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

 

The overall timeline includes specific timelines for both the Pandemic Treaty (INB) and International Health Regulations Amendments processes since March 2020.

ACRONYMS

EB | World Health Organization Executive Board

INB | Intergovernmental Negotiating Body
IHR | International Health Regulations
IHR RC | International Health Regulations Review Committee
WGIHR | Working Group on IHR Amendments
WGPR | Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies

WHA | World Health Assembly

WHO | World Health Organization

See-timeline

UPCOMING

NOVEMBER 2024

  • 4-15 November: Twelfth meeting of the INB 

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MAY 2025​​

  • 19-27 May: Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

PAST

SEPTEMBER 2024

  • 3-4 September: Interactive Dialogues on Article 12; Articles 4 and 5; on the complementarity between the amended IHR and the proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement; and on the legal architecture of the proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement

  • ​9-20 September: Eleventh meeting of the INB 

  • 20 September: Onscreen draft text for the WHO Pandemic Agreement reflecting progress up to Thursday 19th September

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JULY 2024

  • 16-17 July: Tenth meeting of the INB (Report)

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JUNE 2024​​

  • 1 June: A package of critical amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) adopted by the 77th WHA

  • 1 June: Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft  and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response WHA77 decision

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MAY 2024

  • 16-17 May: Resumed session of the Eighth meeting of the WGIHR (Final report)

  • 20-24 May: Resumed session of the Ninth meeting of the INB and continuation of the drafting group (Report)

  • 27 May - 1 June: Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly

  • 27 May: Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) Report by the Director-General to WHA77

  • 27 May: Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response Report by the Director-General to WHA77

  • 28 May: Strengthening preparedness for and response to health emergencies through targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) Draft resolution proposed by France, Indonesia, Kenya, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United States of America

  • 28 May: WHO Pandemic Agreement Draft resolution proposed by the 47 Member States of the African Region 

  • 28 May: WHO Pandemic Agreement Draft resolution proposed by Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Haiti, and Pakistan

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APRIL 2024​

  • 17 April: The Proposed Bureau’s text for WGIHR8 Meeting was released.

  • 22 April: The Proposal for negotiating text​​ of the WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (“WHO CA+”) was released.

  • 22-26 April: Eighth meeting of the WGIHR (Interim report)

  • 29 April - 10 May: Resumed session of the Ninth meeting of the INB and continuation of the drafting group (Interim report)

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​MARCH 2024​

  • 8 March: Resumed session WGIHR7 on Equity (articles 13a and 44a)

  • 13 March: The Revised Draft Proposal for negotiating text​ of the WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (“WHO CA+”) was released.

  • 18-28 March: Ninth meeting of the INB and continuation of the drafting group (Interim report)

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FEBRUARY 2024

  • 5–9 February: Seventh meeting of the WGIHR (Interim report, final report)

  • 8-18 February: New draft proposals for negotiating text of the WHO pandemic agreement

  • 19 February-1 March: Eighth meeting of the INB and continuation of the drafting group (Report)

  • 23 February: Joint plenary session held by WGIHR and INB

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DECEMBER 2023​

  • 4-6 December: Seventh meeting of the INB (Report)

  • 7-8 December: Sixth meeting of the WGIHR (Report)

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NOVEMBER 2023

  • 6-10 November: Seventh meeting of the INB and continuation of the drafting group (The Geneva Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre participated in the event and delivered a statement, which can be found here.)

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OCTOBER 2023

  • 2-6 October: Fifth meeting of the WGIHR (Report)

  • The Proposal for negotiating text of the WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (“WHO CA+”) was released.

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SEPTEMBER 2023

  • 20 September: UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (Political Declaration, final text as of 1 September 2023)

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JULY 2023

  • 17-21 July: Sixth meeting of the INB and continuation of meetings of the drafting group (Final report available here)

  • 21 and 24 July:  Joint plenary meetings of the INB/WGIHR

  • 24-28 July: Fourth meeting of the WGIHR (Final report available here)

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JUNE 12-16, 2023: INB 5 Resumed Session

  • The resumed session of the fifth meeting of the INB was held from 12-16 June 2023 in a hybrid format.

  • According to the report of the meeting, the INB adopted Bureau’s text as a basis for further work after Member States and relevant stakeholders provided general comments in the opening plenary session of the meeting.

  • The Drafting Group discussed Articles 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. The meeting agreed to consider the articles through informal meetings of the drafting group, and two informal meetings on Article 9 were held on the sidelines of the meeting.

  • The INB agreed to hold intersessional informal meetings in advance of the INB 6 on Articles 9, 12, and 13. 

  • It was noted that a joint plenary session of the INB and WGIHR would be held on 21 and 24 of July 2023.

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JUNE 5, 2023: UNGA High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response

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MAY 24, 2023: INB

  • The draft Bureau's text of the WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (“WHO CA+”) was released

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MAY 21-30, 2023: Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly

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MAY 8-9, 2023: Multi-stakeholder Hearing on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (New York)

  • The United Nations organized an interactive multi-stakeholder hearing on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response in preparation for the High-Level Meeting (HLM) on the same topic that will be held on September 20, 2023 in New York (concept note and program).

  • The hearing aimed to gather views from all stakeholders and to identify urgent actions and investments needed in all sectors to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics. It also aimed to identify how the political declaration of the HLM can provide political support to the ongoing processes in Geneva and bring focus to the multi-sectoral nature of pandemics.

  • The Geneva Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre participated in the event and delivered a statement, which can be found here.

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