WHO Chief Refutes Claims of Global Pandemic Accord Allowing Override of National Sovereignty

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has strongly denounced the spread of "misinformation on social media and in the mainstream media" that has falsely alleged that a new global pandemic accord being negotiated would allow the WHO to override national sovereignty related to a future outbreak.

During his weekly press conference in Geneva on Thursday (23 March), Tedros made it clear that the claim that the accord would cede power to the WHO is "quite simply false. It's fake news".

Tedros emphasised that countries will decide the wording and scope of any global agreement on how to tackle the next pandemic, and that no country will cede any sovereignty to WHO.

"No country will cede any sovereignty to WHO. Countries will decide what the Pandemic Accord says, and countries will implement the accord in line with their own national laws. Any opposite claim is quite simply false," Tedros said in a tweet.

Tedros further said that if any politician, business leader, “or anyone at all is confused about what the pandemic accord is and isn’t, we would be more than happy to discuss it and explain it".

Negotiations for a draft global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response began earlier this month among Member States of the WHO.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which is drafting and negotiating the proposed WHO agreement, is due to meet again early next month with the aim of producing a first draft.

INB Co-Chair Precious Matsoso of South Africa stated at the March meeting that it was a "critical step in ensuring that we do not repeat the mistakes of the COVID-19 response, including in sharing life-saving vaccines, provision of information, and development of local capacities."