GOVERNING PANDEMICS

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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APRIL 17-20, 2023: Working Group on IHR Amendments #3

• The third meeting of the WGIHR was held (meeting report). The working group was updated on the coordination with the INB and the joint meeting held between the two Bureaus for addressing misinformation regarding the two processes.

• The WGIHR welcomed the proposal from INB 5 to hold a joint plenary meeting and the possibility to hold this in advance of the next INB drafting group (12-16 June 2023) and after the seventy-sixth WHA.

• The WGIHR discussed proposed amendments related to compliance and implementation, public health response and core capacities, and collaboration and assistance. Informal consultations were held on articles 53A, 53bis-quart, and 54bis and 54.

• The WGIHR agreed to continue efforts during the intersessional period including discussions between proponents of proposed amendments, facilitated informal consultations for drafting group members, and informational briefings on specific topics open to drafting group members and stakeholders.

• The bureau presented a proposal for the grouping of the proposed amendments for the 4th and 5th WGIHR meetings. 

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APRIL 3-6, 2023: INB 5

• The fifth meeting of the INB was held from 3-6 April 2023 in a hybrid format.

• According to the report, it was agreed that textual proposals would be accepted until 22 April and then compiled into a package with all proposals for drafting group participants. By 22 May, the INB Bureau will provide this package and a Bureau’s Text, including options where feasible, for consideration of the Drafting Group. It was further agreed that the INB will hold four additional sessions (including two “two-week marathon” sessions) in the first quarter of 2024, as well as two additional sessions of the drafting group in 2023.

• It was agreed that a progress report will be submitted to the 76th World Health Assembly.  

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MARCH 22, 2023: INB Intersessional Briefing 3

• The third INB intersessional briefing focused on the topic of Article 10. WHO Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System, with the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework as an example (concept note and recording).

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MARCH 20, 2023: INB Intersessional Briefing 2

• The second INB intersessional briefing focused on the topic of access to technology: promoting sustainable and equitably distributed production and transfer of technology and know-how (concept note and recording). 

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MARCH 17, 2023: INB Intersessional Briefing 1

• The first INB intersessional briefing focused on two topics: Article 6. Predictable global supply chain and logistics network and Article 18. One Health and the Quadripartite (concept note and recording). 

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FEBRUARY 27, 2023 - MARCH 3, 2023: INB 4

• The fourth meeting of the INB was held from 27 February to 3 March 2023 in a hybrid format. According to the meeting report, the INB agreed to the proposal by the Bureau regarding the modalities including that the fourth and fifth meetings of the INB were considered as an integrated set, with both focusing on Member State discussions and negotiations.

• It was clarified that there would be a single deadline for textual proposals no later than close of business on 14 April 2023.

• It was further agreed that the Bureau, with support from the Secretariat, would organize informal intersessional work between INB4 and INB5, with the participation of relevant stakeholders, on matters related to Article 1, Chapter III, Article 18, and Article 4.8.

 

FEBRUARY 20-24, 2023: Working Group on IHR Amendments #2

• The second meeting of the WGIHR was held. According to the meeting report the Secretariat agreed to prepare a reference document, comparing the proposed amendments and the related technical recommendations made by the Review Committee. Additionally the Working Group agreed to include a sixth meeting of the Working Group on 7–8 December 2023.

• It was reiterated that both WGIHR and INB Bureaus agree to ensure alignment and consistency and avoid unnecessary duplication and overlap.

• There was general support for the proposed groupings of the proposed amendments and the three groups of proposed amendments to be considered at the third meeting of the WGIHR.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2023: IHR Review Committee

• The Report of the IHR Review Committee was published in English for consideration at the second meeting of the WGIHR.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2023: INB 4

• The Bureau released an advance English version of the zero draft for the consideration of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body at its fourth meeting. 

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JANUARY 30, 2023 - FEBRUARY 7, 2023: Executive Board, 152nd session

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JANUARY 9-13, 2023: IHR Review Committee #6​

• The Committee met for the 6th time to conclude its efforts on the IHR amendments and finalize its report to the WHO Director General and for consideration of the Working Group on IHR Amendments.

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DECEMBER 15-16, 2022: IHR Review Committee #5

• The Committee dedicated the meeting to the finalization of the third reading and analysis of proposed amendments. The Committee agreed on the Members’ respective tasks and timeline to finalize and submit the Final Report to the WHO Director-General by 15 January 2023 (meeting report).

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DECEMBER 5-7, 2022: INB 3

• The INB met for the third time to  review and discuss the conceptual zero draft, the proposed updated timeline and deliverables, the development of the zero draft, and the establishment of drafting group modalities. Information documents used as reference during the INB 3 included:  

  • Summaries of regional committee discussions on the working draft

  • Informal, focused consultations - Report by the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body

  • Outcomes of the second round of public hearings

  • Background Secretariat information paper on certain legal and governance considerations 

• Draft programme of the work

• Provisional agenda

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NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 2, 2022: IHR Review Committee #4

• According to the meeting report, agreement was reached about the outline of the prospective Final Report – broadly addressing: general considerations on the proposed amendments and context in which they were submitted; cross-cutting themes; article-by-article/annex-by-annex analysis of proposed amendments – and the subdivision of tasks among the RC Members.

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NOVEMBER 16-23, 2022: IHR Review Committee #3

• The IHR Review Committee met to continue and complete the systematic review of the proposed amendments to Articles and Annexes of the IHR. According to the meeting report, the RC examined systematically all of the proposed amendments according to the criteria of Appropriateness, Clarity, Consistency, Feasibility, and other considerations. Committee Members made a number of reflections on the proposed amendments including that a number of the proposed amendments were potentially not suited for the IHR and the need for the in-depth discussions of a number of key issues at the next face-to-face meeting.

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NOVEMBER 15, 2022: INB 3 

• The Bureau released the Conceptual zero draft for the consideration of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body at its third meeting. 

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NOVEMBER 14-15, 2022: Working Group on IHR Amendments 

• The WGIHR/1 met to elect the officers of the Bureau, organize aspects of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations, review the process of receiving proposed amendments and establishing a Review Committee regarding amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005), review the proposed method of work, and discuss its coordination with the INB to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

• Compilation of Proposed Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) 

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