Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a landmark agreement on Tuesday outlining how to prepare for future pandemics, following the COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in millions of deaths between 2020 and 2022.
The legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva after three years of negotiations. WHO member countries welcomed its passage with applause.
The pact is widely viewed as a victory for members of the global health agency, especially at a time when multilateral organizations like the WHO have faced sharp cuts in U.S. foreign funding.
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“The agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The treaty faced a late challenge on Monday when Slovakia called for a vote, as its COVID-19 vaccine-skeptic prime minister demanded that his country challenge the adoption of the agreement.
The voting results were as follows: 124 countries voted in favor, no countries voted against, and 11 countries abstained, including Poland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovakia, and Iran.
