SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The 78th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA-78) in Geneva, Switzerland, adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement in 20 May 2025.

The WHO Pandemic Treaty sets out principles, approaches and tools for better international coordination across a range of areas, to strengthen the global health architecture for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, building on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO Director-General said “the world is safer today, thanks to the leadership, collaboration and commitment of our Member States to adopt the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement”.

Indonesia is an important actor to be reckoned with in the negotiations because it consistently voices the principles of equity and global solidarity. Indonesia is also a pioneer of the Group for Equity (GfE), which has more than 30 developing countries as members.

The principle of equality and global solidarity is realized, among others, through a major breakthrough in the WHO Pandemic Agreement, namely the establishment of the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS). Developing countries believe that the PABS System can contribute to more timely and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics during a pandemic.

The WHO Pandemic Agreement also contains various commitments related to the prevention, preparedness, and response of pandemics, including in terms of strengthening of health workforce, Research and Development, diversification of health product production, technology transfer, and strengthening the regulatory system.

"The completion and adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is a major victory for multilateralism, and this is very important in a world defined by division," said Ambassador Achsanul Habib, Chargé d'Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia in Geneva.

"Our fight is not over. Negotiations on the Annex of the WHO Pandemic Agreement regarding the details of the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System will begin soon. Indonesia will come prepared," added Ambassador Achsanul Habib.

WHO Member States can only sign and become a party to the WHO Pandemic Agreement after the adoption of Annex on the PABS System. The first organizational meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) negotiating the Annex will be held on 15 July 2025 in Geneva.

Responding to hoaxes and misinformation about WHO Pandemic Agreement, Ambassador Achsanul Habib added “the Agreement states clearly that nothing in it shall be interpreted as providing the WHO any authority to direct, order, alter or prescribe national law or policies of any Party, or ban or accept travellers, impose vaccination mandates, or implement lockdowns”.

Prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics must continue to be based on the principles of global equity and solidarity, ensuring that no country is left behind in addressing transboundary health threats.