Australia ‘fully committed’ to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Health Minister
Mark Butler told the World Health Assembly in Geneva ‘we can’t afford to fail,’ after negotiations fell through prior to the assembly.
A medic prepares two vials of COVID-19 vaccines. (Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images)
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler is continuing to advocate for a global pandemic agreement, telling the WHO world conference “we can’t afford to fail.”
Speaking on behalf of Australia at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Mr. Butler advocated for a way forward for WHO Pandemic Agreement. This comes after the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was unable to reach consensus on the draft text of the treaty after nine meetings.
Fourteen cross party parliamentarians have voiced opposition to Australia signing up to a global pandemic treaty. Speaking in Geneva in Committee A on May 28, Australia’s health minister Mr. Butler said, “Australia remains fully committed to completing the WHO pandemic agreement.” “Together we have come a very long way from where we started just two and a half years ago with a blank page and a shared ambition,” he said.
“An ambition for a set of binding commitments to prevent another pandemic and to be better prepared to response more effectively and importantly more equitably when the next pandemic hits.”
When Australia decided to embark on this process in the height of the pandemic, they knew that it would not be easy, Mr. Butler said.
“But we came together and took the decision, we even called it the world together because this is a historic opportunity and a public health imperative, it is simply our responsibility.”
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He noted the INB has developed into a “distinguished bureau” since its inception and praised the work of the “hard working WHO secretariat team” and negotiators putting together the draft text.
Mr. Butler described the initial agreement as a significant achievement and said now they need to agree on a path forward to “finish the job.”
What Is the WHO Pandemic Treaty?
In 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, global leaders proposed the global treaty to advance an all of government and all of society approach to prepare for future pandemics.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented a copy of the text in a report on May 27 (pdf), using highlights green, yellow, and white to differentiate areas that have been agreed, and those that have not.
The text that has not been agreed to, in white, includes a provision where the WHO would receive up to 20 percent of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for distribution during a pandemic emergency.
In addition, there is a provision where the WHO would collaborate to establish no fault compensation mechanisms for novel pandemic vaccines.
While negotiators and member states have not yet reached an agreement, this does not mean they are giving up.
In a media release on May 28, the WHO said that by the time the World Health Assembly ends on June 1, they aim to agree on the “timing, format, and process” to conclude the pandemic agreement.
In addition, the World Health Assembly is also working on amendments to the International Health Regulations 2005, which it hopes to finalise by June 1.
The regulations detail rules on vaccines, quarantine, international travel and health documents in the event of a pandemic (pdf).
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For example, it states a traveller with a vaccine certificate shall not be denied entry as a consequence of a disease unless the authority has evidence the vaccination was not effective.
Among text that has been agreed to, it states no vaccine can be carried out on travellers without their consent.
However, if there is a public health risk and the traveller does not provide consent, a state party to the agreement may deny entry to that traveller.
Australia Proposes the WHO Meet Again By End of 2024
Australia drafted a resolution for the 77th World Health Assembly, requesting the Director General to convene a special session of the World Health Assembly before the end of 2024 to consider an updated Intergovernmental Negotiating Body Draft (pdf).
Mr. Butler explained that Mr. Ghebreyesus had urged negotiators to use the assembly to re-engergise and recalibrate the process, adding, “that is what we intend to do.”
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“That is why Australia worked with a cross regional group over the weekend and yesterday, to table a draft decision reflecting the available options to finalise the agreement,” he said.
Mr. Butler told the assembly this is an incredibly important decision that needs to be made together.
“We very much look forward to finding consensus in the next drafting group proposed by the chair, so that the path to finalise the pandemic agreement is clear,” he told the assembly in Geneva.
“Now is the time to redouble our efforts to resolve the remaining challenges and deliver on this historic opportunity to achieve better health outcomes for all in responding to future pandemics and public health emergencies.
“Australia stands ready to deliver on this ambition. We cannot afford to fail.”
14 MPs Oppose Pandemic Treaty
Several ministers from the Coalition, One Nation, and United Australia Party have called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to walk away from the WHO pandemic agreement and changes to the international health regulations.
Alex Antic, Matt Canavan, Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts, Ralph Babet, Tony Pasin, Matthew Sullivan, Luke Howarth, Barnaby Joyce, Terry Young, Russell Broadbent, Colin Boyce, David Gillespie, and Llew O'Brien co-signed a letter to the prime minister expressing the concerns.
“We have received a large volume of correspondence from Australians who are rightly concerned about the IHR amendments and the WHO Pandemic Treaty, and we share those concerns,” the group said in a letter dated May 14.
“The WHO has demonstrated throughout the COVID period that its global approach to providing recommendations to respond to actual or perceived public health emergencies consistently resulted in more damage than was prevented and has caused untold losses both economically and socially.”
The letter expresses that international health regulation amendments and the WHO pandemic treaty would transform the WHO from an advisory organisation to a supernational health authority dictating how governments respond to emergencies which the WHO itself declares.
One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts said on May 29 that Mr. Butler was in Geneva “campaigning for mandatory regulations.”
Mr. Roberts said he is confident that the pandemic treaty will “not come to a vote” in the WHA77.” However, he said this does not mean it is defeated forever.
“The WHO will persist in their attempts to expand their power unless we stop them,” he said.
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Monica O’Shea - Author
Monica O’Shea is a reporter based in Australia. She previously worked as a reporter for Motley Fool Australia, Daily Mail Australia, and Fairfax Regional Media.