The United States, Israel and Argentina have rejected a United Nations General Assembly’s political declaration calling for stronger global cooperation to prevent and respond to future pandemics.
Rwanda, which co-facilitated the intergovernmental negotiations alongside Armenia, welcomed the adoption.
Rwanda describes it as an important step towards building a more resilient global health system capable of protecting lives from future pandemics.
According to the reported voting record, the declaration received 153 votes in favour, while New Zealand and Paraguay abstained.
“Rwanda is proud to have co-facilitated the intergovernmental negotiations alongside Armenia and welcomes today’s adoption as an important step towards building a more resilient global health architecture, better equipped to protect lives from the threat of pandemics,” Rwanda’s Permanent Mission to the UN said.
The declaration also highlights inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments varied significantly between countries.
It calls for increased investment in local and regional research, manufacturing and regulatory capacity, particularly in developing countries, to improve access to affordable medical products and reduce dependence on external suppliers during health emergencies.
Member states are further urged to strengthen early-warning systems, laboratory capacity, vaccination programmes and surveillance while improving coordination between human, animal and environmental health under the One Health approach.
Financing remains another major challenge. The declaration notes that international funding arrangements are fragmented and insufficiently coordinated, highlighting an estimated annual pandemic preparedness financing gap of U$15 billion.
It calls for stronger domestic investment, international assistance and better coordination among existing global health financing mechanisms.
The text also emphasizes the need to maintain essential health services during emergencies, including routine immunization, maternal and child healthcare and mental health support.
It calls for measures to address misinformation and disinformation that can undermine public confidence in health authorities.
Although the declaration establishes a political commitment to stronger pandemic preparedness, it is not legally binding.
Its implementation will depend on action by individual governments and continued international cooperation.
The General Assembly has requested a report from the UN Secretary-General, prepared in consultation with WHO and other relevant agencies, during its 83rd session to review implementation and recommend further action.
The adoption marks another step in international efforts to prepare for future health emergencies, although negotiations on pathogen access and benefit-sharing remain central to determining how global cooperation will translate into equitable access to medical countermeasures.
