Countries are “ready to secure” a consensus on the conclusion of an international pandemic agreement, its head said today, who, at the start of the last round of negotiations in which the United States no longer participates.

“You are ready to write a story with this agreement,” said World Health Organization True Antanom Gembregens at the start of the negotiations.

This new negotiating week aims to finalize the agreement in view of the annual meeting of its Member States in May.

“I think we are very close to the target. I think you are ready to secure a consensus,” Tentros told the negotiators, stressing that the text plan “reconciles the different needs and priorities of the Member States”.

“You don’t need my own speech to remind you of the challenges and the importance of completing the negotiations this week,” he added.

In December 2021, its member states, which decided to process an agreement to prevent pandemics and prepare for them to avoid serious mistakes in Covid.

However, important issues have delayed negotiations, such as the exchange of data on emerging pathogens and the advantages of the resulting from it, namely vaccines, tests and treatments and monitoring of pandemics.

“The Covid-19 pandemic may look like a distant memory today, outdated due to geopolitical and economic conflicts and uprisings. But the next pandemic will not wait for things to calm down,” Tentros warns.

“It could happen in 20 years or more, but it could happen tomorrow. But it will happen, and whatever it is, we must be ready,” he said, stressing that a pandemic “can kill more people and cause more economic and social damage than a war”.

“People need a strong signal to show that in these times of divisions and disagreements, countries can still be united to work together and find a common place,” Tentros added.

“The pandemic agreement may be this signal,” he said.

As in February, the negotiations continue without the United States due to the decree of US President Donald Trump with which he withdrew the country from WHO.