Geneva, Switzerland, 20th May 2025
After a four-year process of negotiations, the 194 member states of the World Health Organisation have endorsed a global accord to support international co-operation on the prevention of pandemics and preparedness for dealing with pandemic impacts.
Under a Resolution at its 78th meeting, the World Health Assembly (the decision-making body of the WHO) adopted the Global Pandemic Agreement, only the second time in its history that an agreement of this kind has been made under the WHO’s constitution.
The agreement is not only a landmark for international co-operation on an issue of global health significance, but also for recognising the One Health concept in international law as being critical to the prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) to pandemics.
An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) comprising all WHO member states was established in 2021for the purpose of negotiating and drafting the agreement. As such, the process has been entirely led by the countries involved. One Health was a feature of the discussions from the outset, reflecting the scientific evidence that the health of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems are closely intertwined, and recognising that the greatest pandemic risks are associated with zoonotic diseases – those which spread to humans from wildlife and livestock.
The Agreement aligns closely with other ongoing initiatives on One Health; for example, it includes a definition of One Health for pandemic PPR (under Article 1(b)) which is line with the operational definition used by the Quadripartite Alliance for One Health (comprising WHO, FAO, UNEP and WOAH). Under Article 4, parties to the agreement are required to establish “comprehensive multisectoral national pandemic prevention and surveillance plans” that consider “prevention of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, by taking measures to promote collaboration across relevant sectors to identify and address drivers of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface”. This is to include early detection of high-risk pathogens – including zoonotic and environmental pathogens – monitoring of ecosystem determinants of disease, and prudent cross-sectoral stewardship of medicines. This reflects the aims and language of aspects of the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
In addition to diseases of zoonotic potential, Article 4 specifically addresses the risks of emerging pathogens that are resistant to antimicrobial agents, creating an important entry point for integration of green chemistry and other sustainable health care initiatives which seek to prevent the overuse of antimicrobial agents and reduce their occurrence in the environment. Ecosystem approaches to health will also be key to delivering on a requirement to ensure access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for all.
The Pandemic Agreement establishes a basis under international law for the consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in health protection strategies at all levels, by encouraging States to address the drivers of pandemics through consideration of the human-animal-plant-environment interface (Article 5). This is based on a principle of flexible commitments and objectives, rather than rigid requirements, allowing for adaptation and innovation in assessing and addressing One Health issues according to national circumstances.
One of the most significant barriers to co-operation on health and biodiversity at all levels of governance has been a focus, within the health sector, on treatment and management of infectious diseases above prevention. This new global accord marks a significant change in that perspective to one of forward-thinking preventative governance, requiring partnerships between the health biodiversity, environment. Food, and other sectors. The Cohab Initiative welcomes the adoption of the Global Pandemic Agreement as a milestone in public health planning and an opportunity for development of novel, systemic approaches to infectious disease risks that recognise the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability to achieving their goals.