Council Decision (EU) 2021/1101 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the seventy-fourth session of the World Health Assembly

Summary:

Decision (EU) 2021/1101 - adopted by the Council of the European Union during a meeting on 20 May 2021 - on the EU's position in the 74th session of the World Health Assembly.

Further information:

This position comprises the support to the launch of negotiations for an international treaty on the fight against pandemics. The objective of this Council Decision is to ensure the participation of the European Union (EU) in the talks addressing matters falling within its competence, in view of the EU's possible accession to the treaty.

The proposal for an international treaty on pandemics emerged publicly in November 2020. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Health Assembly was scheduled to discuss the establishment of a process for a Framework Convention on Pandemic Preparedness and Response on 24 May 2021.

The Decision was published in the Official Journal on 6 July 2021.

Official

General Secretariat of the Council: Policies: An international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/coronavirus/pandemic-treaty/

European Council: Press Release, 30/03/2021: "COVID-19 shows why united action is needed for more robust international health architecture" - Op-ed article by President Charles Michel, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and more than 20 world leaders https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/03/30/pandemic-treaty-op-ed/

World Health Organisation: News, 30/03/2021: Global leaders unite in urgent call for international pandemic treaty https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2021-global-leaders-unite-in-urgent-call-for-international-pandemic-treaty

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 20/05/2021: EU supports start of WHO process for establishment of Pandemic Treaty: Council decision https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/05/20/eu-supports-start-of-who-process-for-establishment-of-pandemic-treaty-council-decision/

UN WHO: Director-General’s closing remarks at the World Health Assembly - 31 May 2021 https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/director-general-s-closing-remarks-at-the-world-health-assembly---31-may-2021

UN: News, 31/05/2021: COVID danger has not passed, States must support pandemic treaty: Tedros https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/05/1093072

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News

EurActiv, 30/03/2021: Leaders of 23 countries back EU’s pandemic treaty idea https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/leaders-of-23-countries-back-eus-pandemic-treaty-idea/

Bloomberg, 30/03/2021: World Leaders Seek International Treaty on Future Pandemics https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-30/world-leaders-call-for-international-treaty-on-future-pandemics

VOA News, 30/03/2021: WHO, EU, World Leaders Support Pandemic Treaty https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/who-eu-world-leaders-support-pandemic-treaty

EUObserver, 31/03/2021: World leaders urge readiness for next pandemic: 'Time to act' https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/151406

Politico, 19/05/2021: US and Russia seek to squash talks for pandemic treaty https://www.politico.eu/article/us-and-russia-try-to-kill-off-talks-for-pandemic-treaty/

VOA News, 23/05/2021: Pandemic Treaty, Vaccine Equity Seen Topping UN Health Meeting Agenda https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/pandemic-treaty-vaccine-equity-seen-topping-un-health-meeting-agenda

Reuters, 24/05/2021: Macron calls for WHO powers to be boosted, Merkel backs call for pandemic treaty https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/macron-calls-who-powers-be-boosted-merkel-backs-call-pandemic-treaty-2021-05-24/

France24, 24/05/2021: Covid shadow hangs over WHO international meet https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210524-covid-shadow-hangs-over-who-international-meet

Politico, 25/05/2021: US succeeds in efforts to delay pandemic treaty https://www.politico.eu/article/us-succeeds-in-efforts-to-delay-pandemic-treaty/

Reuters, 31/05/2021: ‘Time has come’ for pandemic treaty as part of bold reforms - WHO’s Tedros https://www.reuters.com/world/china/who-agrees-study-major-reforms-meet-again-pandemic-treaty-2021-05-31/

VOA News, 01/06/2021: World Health Organization Developing Pandemic Game Plan for Future Outbreaks https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/world-health-organization-developing-pandemic-game-plan-future-outbreaks

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Commentary and Analysis

ECFR: Policy Brief, 01/04/2021: Built to order: How Europe can rebuild multilateralism after covid-19 https://ecfr.eu/publication/how-europe-can-rebuild-multilateralism-after-covid-19/

Nature Journal: Editorial, 06/04/2021: The world must learn from COVID before diving into a pandemic treaty https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00866-7

British Medical Journal: Blog, 26/04/2021: What should we ask of a new global treaty for pandemic preparedness? https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/04/26/what-should-we-ask-of-a-new-global-treaty-for-pandemic-preparedness/

British Medical Journal: Editorial, 21/05/2021: Preparing for the next pandemic https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1295

UN Foundation: Blog, 21/05/2021: What's ahead at the 74th World Health Assembly https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/whats-ahead-at-the-74th-world-health-assembly/

Swissinfo.ch, 22/05/2021: Do we need stricter international health rules to end the pandemic?  https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/pandemic-international-health-security-rules/46628874

British Medical Journal: Opinion, 23/05/2021: An international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response is an urgent necessity https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/05/23/an-international-treaty-for-pandemic-preparedness-and-response-is-an-urgent-necessity/

British Medical Journal: Commentary, 27/05/2021: Will a global preparedness treaty help or hinder pandemic preparedness? https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/5/e006297

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ESO Records

Press release by President Charles Michel on an international Treaty on Pandemics (3 December 2021) https://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-by-president-charles-michel-on-an-international-treaty-on-pandemics/

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