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Lula, WHO chief urge global leaders to finalise pandemic accord before July deadline – EnviroNews
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President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), have issued a joint appeal to leaders of the G7, G20, BRICS and all nations to urgently finalise the remaining negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
In an open letter released on the occasion of the G7 Summit on Monday, June 15, 2026, the two leaders warned that the world risks repeating the devastating consequences of COVID-19 if countries fail to complete negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, the final component required for the Pandemic Agreement to enter into force.
The letter recalls the immense human cost of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that up to 20 million lives were lost worldwide.
It emphasises that countries adopted the Pandemic Agreement in 2025 as a commitment to strengthen global cooperation in preventing, preparing for and responding to future pandemics.
According to Lula and Tedros, the unfinished PABS annex is critical because it establishes the framework through which countries can rapidly share pathogen samples and genetic information, enabling scientists to develop diagnostics, treatments and vaccines during health emergencies.
“Until it is finished, the Agreement cannot enter into force. The promise stays unkept,” the leaders stated.
The two leaders acknowledged progress made during recent negotiations but noted that member states were unable to resolve key issues during talks that concluded on May 1.
Outstanding matters include how benefits arising from shared pathogens should be distributed, governance arrangements and guarantees of equitable access to medical countermeasures.
Negotiators are scheduled to reconvene from July 6 to 17 to continue discussions.
Lula and Tedros called on heads of government to provide strong political leadership and empower negotiators to reach consensus.
They stressed that the Pandemic Agreement does not compromise national sovereignty, pointing to provisions that leave decisions on lockdowns, travel restrictions and vaccination policies entirely in the hands of sovereign states.
The letter also highlights equity as a central pillar of the proposed system, arguing that countries that share dangerous pathogens must be assured access to the vaccines, treatments and other benefits generated from that information.
The leaders further argued that a predictable global framework would provide legal certainty for governments, laboratories and industry partners while ensuring fair distribution of benefits during future outbreaks.
Warning that scientists estimate there is nearly a one-in-four chance of another pandemic occurring within the next decade, the letter cites emerging threats linked to climate change, changing land use patterns, evolving agricultural practices and advances in biotechnology.
Lula and Tedros urged governments to treat July 17 as a firm deadline rather than another milestone in the negotiation process.
They noted that the COVID-19 pandemic not only claimed millions of lives but also cost the global economy more than $13 trillion in lost output.
The leaders further pointed to ongoing Ebola outbreaks as evidence that infectious disease threats remain a present reality.
Concluding their appeal, the two leaders said finalising the agreement would honour the memory of those lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen global preparedness for future health emergencies.
“We made a promise to the millions we lost, and to the families who carry their absence still. Let us be the generation that keeps that promise,” the letter states.
By Winston Mwale, AfricaBrief
