WHO Member Wants To Run A “Simulation Exercise” Before Implementing Pandemic Treaty

A member of the World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed running a “simulation exercise” before implementing two instruments that will greatly increase the unelected international health agency’s powers — the international pandemic treaty/accord and amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). The proposal was made by a representative for the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), a monitoring and accountability body “to ensure preparedness for global health crises,” during the World Health Assembly (the decision-making body of the WHO’s annual meeting) last week at a strategic roundtable. The GPMB representative said a simulation would “ensure” the success of the pandemic treaty and proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). “We feel very strongly that we cannot wait for the next emergency to find out how well the pandemic accord and the IHR amendments will work,” the representative said. “We need to know now. We therefore suggest that member states together with other key stakeholders carry out a simulation exercise based on the draft accord and the draft IHR amendments later this year.” According to the GPMB representative, this simulation exercise will “provide assurance of the effectiveness” of these instruments, help “identify any remaining gaps,” and “resolve any outstanding areas of disagreement.” The representative added that this simulation exercise should take place before the pandemic treaty and amendments to the IHR are adopted. Both instruments are due to be adopted in May 2024 which suggests that this proposed simulation exercise would take place within the next year. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/wha-76-day-2-strategic-roundtable-gpmb.mp4 Collectively, the pandemic…WHO Member Wants To Run A “Simulation Exercise” Before Implementing Pandemic Treaty