WHO Chief Optimistic: Nations Poised to Finalise Vaccine‑Sharing Mechanism of Pandemic Treaty

WHO Says Members Are In Strong Position To Finalise PABS Mechanism

The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday that countries are well placed to complete the crucial outstanding element of the landmark pandemic treaty: the Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing (PABS) system that will govern how vaccines and other benefits are shared during future health emergencies.

In April, WHO member states adopted the broader Pandemic Agreement after more than three years of negotiations prompted by the global shock of Covid‑19. The accord aims to prevent the fragmented responses and international confusion that marked the Covid‑19 emergency by strengthening global coordination, surveillance and equitable access to medical countermeasures.

However, negotiators set aside the treaty’s core PABS component to secure consensus on the wider agreement. Member states were given another year to finalise the PABS rules: a mechanism to manage access to pathogens with pandemic potential and to distribute benefits derived from them, including vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments.

“This is both a generational opportunity and a generational responsibility,” WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said after a week of talks. “As we get ready to close out this year, we are in a strong position to forge consensus, finalise the draft, and prepare for adoption at next year’s World Health Assembly. Together, we are moving toward a world that is better prepared for future pandemics.”

Negotiators will reconvene for a fourth round of discussions on 20–22 January. Governments have been tasked with finalising the PABS system by the next World Health Assembly in mid‑May, the WHO’s annual decision‑making forum for member states.

Once PABS is agreed, the full treaty can be opened for ratification; 60 ratifications will be required for the agreement to enter into force. The outcome will determine whether future pathogen sharing leads to faster, fairer global access to vaccines, tests and treatments during the next major health crisis.

“As we cross the half‑way mark in negotiations on the PABS system, I am encouraged by the progress we've made towards enabling a faster and more equitable global response to future pandemics,” said Matthew Harpur, co‑chair of the talks.

Co‑chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes of Brazil added: “We are confident we can build a strong and balanced PABS system that will benefit all people.”

Why it matters: Finalising the PABS mechanism is critical to ensuring that countries that share pathogen samples also receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments derived from those samples — a key lesson from Covid‑19 that the treaty seeks to address.