"An agreement is meant to be reached just two and a half months from now – countries imposed a deadline of May 2024, in time for the 77th World Health Assembly," the letter states.  And continues:

"As countries now enter what should be the final stages of the negotiations, they must ensure that they are agreeing on actions which will do the job required: to prevent and mitigate pandemic threats.

"We urge solutions which ensure both speed in reporting and sharing pathogens, and in access – in every country – to sufficient tools like tests and vaccines to protect lives and minimise harm."

In total, 107 people signed the letter.  Signatories include 16 Club de Madrid members, 9 Global Leadership Foundation members, 46 Nizami Ganjavi International Centre members and a variety of academics and former politicians, including the former UK prime ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.

WHO's Actions are Unlawful

The World Health Organisation's ("WHO's") Pandemic Accord is also referred to as the Pandemic Treaty and WHO Convention Agreement + ("WHO CA+").

From 27 May to 1 June 2024, WHO is due to convene its 77th World Health Assembly (WHA"). The WHA is WHO's main decision-making body. The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations ("IHR") amendments and the text of the Pandemic Treaty will be presented to the 77th WHA.  WHO and its backers will be hoping that both the Treaty text and the IHR will be adopted.

In 2023, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health highlighted the two issues that dominated discussions during the 76th WHA: new ways to fund the "cash-strapped" WHO and the rewriting process for the pandemic response playbook.