Dennis Francis, president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), has ignored the objections of 11 countries and approved the UN declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response without submitting it to a full assembly vote.

This declaration aims to form a global pandemic authority that has a range of disturbing powers, such as the ability to enforce lockdowns, push for universal vaccination and censor what it deems "misinformation."

Some of the points it calls for include:

Increased surveillance and digital health documents: The declaration supports the use of digital health technologies for "implementing and supporting health measures and bolstering national response efforts" in the event of a health emergency or pandemic. Vaccine passports would fall under the category of digital health technologies.

Universal vaccination: Another alarming component of the declaration is the "deep concern" it expresses about dropping vaccination rates around the world. It vows to support the research and development of vaccines, calling routine vaccination a cost-effective and efficient public health intervention. The declaration calls for improving "routine immunization, vaccination and outreach capacities, including by providing evidence-based information on promoting confidence, uptake, demand," in addition to "expanding vaccine coverage to prevent outbreaks as well as the spread and re-emergence of communicable diseases."

Making COVID-19-related temporary powers permanent: The declaration also emphasizes the need to build on the practices and lessons that were learned from the pandemic and turn temporary powers into permanent ones sustainably.