WHO member states are negotiating an important annex to the agreement — a pathogen access and genetic information-sharing system, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The pandemic agreement may be opened for signature after the 79th session of the World Health Assembly, which will be held in Geneva from May 18 to 23. This was announced by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
According to him, WHO member states are currently negotiating an important annex to the agreement — the system for pathogen access and the sharing of genetic information. This mechanism “should ensure the rapid identification and sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential, as well as fair and timely access to vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics,” the head of the organization explained.
“We hope that the negotiations will be completed in time for the PABS annex to be adopted at the next World Health Assembly,” Ghebreyesus said at a press conference at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva. “After that, the pandemic agreement can be opened for signature and will finally acquire the force of international law.”
On May 20, the World Health Assembly at its 78th session in Geneva officially adopted the pandemic agreement, which the WHO had been developing for more than three years. It is aimed at strengthening global cooperation in the areas of prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemic threats. According to the draft agreement, WHO member states commit to establishing a system to ensure access to pathogens and the fair sharing of related benefits, as well as to assisting one another in the transfer of knowledge and technologies for vaccine production. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a coordinating financial mechanism to support developing countries, as well as the creation of a global supply chain and logistics network.
The World Health Assembly is the WHO’s main governing body, comprising 194 member states. Each year, typically in May, delegates from all WHO countries meet to agree on the organization’s priorities and policies.
The public health emergency related to COVID-19 was in effect worldwide from late January 2020 until May 5, 2023. According to WHO data as of November 23, 2025, nearly 779 million coronavirus cases and more than 7.1 million deaths had been recorded globally.
Source: TASS, December 11, 2025.
