WHO Welcomes UN Adoption of Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response
The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Political Declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Member States considered the declaration during the second UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on the topic on September 25, 2026, and referred it to the full Assembly for adoption.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization welcomes the commitment and urged countries to fulfil it, especially by finalizing negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex, so that the WHO Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature, begin ratification and enter into force as international law.
The declaration calls for sustained investment and action to strengthen national, regional and global capacities to prevent, detect and respond to pandemic threats, and underscores that pandemic preparedness is a health, development, economic and security imperative requiring coordinated action across sectors. WHO cited advances since COVID-19 including the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, strengthened International Health Regulations, the Pandemic Fund and expanded international systems for epidemic intelligence and emergency response.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于纽约的联合国总部大楼。照片：Jakubhal 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The United Nations headquarters in New York City. Photo by Jakubhal, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
