The treaty is conspiracy theorists’ new bugaboo. But there’s been no public backlash and the voluntary agreement – still being hammered out by World Health Organization member states – hasn’t been abandoned.

MARY ALEXANDER • 17 MAY 2024
Published by Africa Check on 22 May 2024

“The WHO has abandoned its contentious Pandemic Treaty following public discourse and backlash,” reads a claim circulating on social media in South Africa and elsewhere since late April 2024.*

For more than two years the 194 member states of the World Health Organization have been negotiating a draft pandemic agreement, also known as the pandemic accord or pandemic treaty. Its simple objective is to “prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics”.

The need for the agreement came from the lack of preparedness for the global Covid outbreak and poor international cooperation during it. Another concern was that people in wealthier countries were given tests, treatment and vaccines far more quickly than people in poorer countries.

The first step was in March 2021, when 25 world leaders – including South African president Cyril Ramaphosa – announced that “nations should work together towards a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response”.

“The main goal of this treaty would be to foster an all of government and all of society approach, strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience to future pandemics,” they said.

These leaders then took the idea to the WHO, the only organisation that directs and coordinates international health work. In December 2021 the international negotiating body (INB) was set up to draft, debate and finalise the agreement.

The first version, the “zero draft” of the agreement, was published in February 2023.

Since then there have been concerns and conspiracy theories in South Africa and across the world that the agreement would give global power to the WHO, allowing it to lock down countries, impose travel bans, force vaccines on people and more.

But none of this is true, as Africa Check explained earlier in May 2023. The agreement, when adopted, would be entirely voluntary and any laws that came out of it could only be passed by member states themselves.

Comments on the recent claim that the agreement has been “abandoned” include:

• Wow, we won one, nice work Humanity.
• This is really good news, if true, because by signing the contract Treaty, governments would be surrendering to WHO (NWO) control.
• I love it when we win.

It can also be seen here, here, here, here and here.

Has the WHO really “abandoned” the “contentious” pandemic agreement after a “backlash” by the public?

‘Getting this done means getting it right’

Work on the pandemic agreement continues. The most recent draft is dated 22 March 2024 and publicly available on the WHO website.

From 29 April to 10 May the INB resumed its ninth meeting to negotiate the agreement. The session’s proceedings, including documents and video of the discussions, can again be seen on the WHO website.

No final agreement came out of the meeting.

But in a 10 May press release, the INB said member states had agreed to continue working on the agreement and refining its draft ahead of the annual World Health Assembly, to be held from 27 May to 1 June.

“This is not a simple exercise,” South Africa’s Dr Precious Matsoso, co-chair of the INB, said in the statement.

“This is the first ever process to develop a proposed agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Getting this done means getting it right, and the INB Bureau is committed to help finalise a meaningful, lasting agreement.”

Negotiating a complex treaty covering the complex issues of global disease outbreaks, with 194 countries required to agree to its terms, will be a long process that has already taken years.

But the pandemic agreement has not been abandoned.

* Some claims posted on Facebook and Instagram may have been deleted by users after being rated via Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program.