Mark Butler told the World Health Assembly in Geneva ‘we can’t afford to fail,’ after negotiations fell through prior to the assembly.
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler is continuing to advocate for a global pandemic agreement, telling the WHO world conference “we can’t afford to fail.”
Speaking on behalf of Australia at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Mr. Butler advocated for a way forward for WHO Pandemic Agreement. This comes after the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was unable to reach consensus on the draft text of the treaty after nine meetings.
Fourteen cross party parliamentarians have voiced opposition to Australia signing up to a global pandemic treaty. Speaking in Geneva in Committee A on May 28, Australia’s health minister Mr. Butler said, “Australia remains fully committed to completing the WHO pandemic agreement.” “Together we have come a very long way from where we started just two and a half years ago with a blank page and a shared ambition,” he said.
“An ambition for a set of binding commitments to prevent another pandemic and to be better prepared to response more effectively and importantly more equitably when the next pandemic hits.”
When Australia decided to embark on this process in the height of the pandemic, they knew that it would not be easy, Mr. Butler said.
“But we came together and took the decision, we even called it the world together because this is a historic opportunity and a public health imperative, it is simply our responsibility.”
He noted the INB has developed into a “distinguished bureau” since its inception and praised the work of the “hard working WHO secretariat team” and negotiators putting together the draft text.
Mr. Butler described the initial agreement as a significant achievement and said now they need to agree on a path forward to “finish the job.”
What Is the WHO Pandemic Treaty?
In 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, global leaders proposed the global treaty to advance an all of government and all of society approach to prepare for future pandemics.
