As world leaders convene for the second UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR), health advocates and international panels have called on UN Member States to adopt a Political Declaration on pandemic preparedness.
The Friends of the PPPR High-Level Meeting, an informal coalition co-convened by organizations including The Elders, FOUR PAWS, Resilience Action Network International (RANI), and The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, made the call in a statement on Friday.
The coalition highlighted the toll of recent global health crises, saying COVID-19 has caused at least 22 million excess deaths over the past decade.
It also said the world continues to face the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, which has infected 7,600 people and claimed approximately 3,600 lives.
The advocates said the figures underscore the need for concrete action on pandemic preparedness.
Helen Clark, Co-Chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and co-convenor of the Friends of the HLM, said the Political Declaration should serve as a baseline rather than an endpoint.
“This Political Declaration should be considered the floor, and not the ceiling of what needs to be done to make the world safer from pandemic threats, not the least of which is the conclusion, ratification and implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement,” Helen Clark said.
Clark urged Member States to support the text and pursue the conclusion, ratification and implementation of the broader WHO Pandemic Agreement.
“So this Friday, we say: Member States – demonstrate your full-throated support to make the world safer. Given inevitable pandemic threats, how could you choose any other path?” she said.
The coalition's call comes amid concerns over how the summit's outcome document is being handled.
Traditionally, a High-Level Meeting's negotiated text is tabled during the opening session by the President of the General Assembly for subsequent endorsement.
However, schedule adjustments for this year's summit mean the assembly will only “consider” the outcome document during the closing session, raising concerns among advocacy groups seeking clear commitments.
