World Health Organization (WHO) Member States have agreed to extend negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, with discussions to resume in late-April ahead of its scheduled consideration by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.

The decision to continue negotiations from 27 April–1 May, with informal intersessional discussions taking place in advance, reflects the commitment by WHO Member States to negotiate the PABS annex, a core component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.

The World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement last year to address weaknesses exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to strengthen global cooperation and equity in future pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

“The Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system lies at the heart of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and I thank WHO Member States for their commitment to work to bring it to life,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I urge all delegations to believe in the power of trust – trust in one another, in our institutions, and in our shared ability to transcend differences for the common public good, for solidarity and for equity.”

The PABS annex is intended to ensure, on equal footing, the rapid sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

“Member State negotiators are working intensively towards having an ambitious and equitable Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing annex ready for adoption at the World Health Assembly in May,” said IGWG Bureau Co-Chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, of Brazil.

During the past week, Member States engaged in intensive negotiations under the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Discussions covered a range of critical and interlinked issues, including how benefits derived from the sharing of pathogens should be defined and distributed, the nature of contractual arrangements underpinning the PABS system, and governance matters necessary to ensure the system functions effectively, transparently and in the public interest.

“With less than two months until the World Health Assembly in May, I welcome the commitment shown this week by Member States towards finding consensus on outstanding areas in the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system,” said IGWG Bureau Co-Chair Mr Matthew Harpur, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Member States acknowledged the constructive engagement to date, while recognizing that additional time is needed to bridge remaining differences to finalize the text and submit the outcome to the World Health Assembly. They also reaffirmed their commitment to solidarity, multilateralism and the shared goal of making the world safer and more equitable in the face of future pandemics.