⏱ 2 min read
Background
In May 2025, the World Health Assembly adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement. Member States had, however, postponed the negotiation of a key mechanism: the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. Eight meetings of an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) have been held since July 2025 without reaching a conclusion. This annex has held up the finalisation of the treaty for a year and a half.
The key points
On 13 November 2026, after two weeks of negotiations in Geneva, WHO Member States announced progress on the PABS annex. They reaffirm their goal of finalising it for the World Health Assembly in May 2027.
The annex is to organise the rapid and transparent sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and their genetic sequences. In return, it must guarantee rapid and equitable access to the resulting products: vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments.
Negotiators made headway on benefit-sharing within a legally binding framework and on the role of partners. They also examined the role of laboratories and other technical partners in the system.
Key figures
- 9 : IGWG meetings held since July 2025, including the Geneva session
- 2 weeks : length of this ninth negotiating session
- 3 : further formal sessions scheduled between January and March 2027
What it means for businesses
- Manufacturers of vaccines, tests and treatments : the annex will define the benefits to be shared in exchange for access to pathogens.
- Laboratories : their role in sharing biological material and sequence data is under discussion.
Who says what
- Tovar da Silva Nunes (Ambassador of Brazil, co-chair of the IGWG Bureau): he reports important progress on both access and benefit-sharing.
- Anne-Claire Amprou (Ambassador of France, co-chair of the IGWG Bureau): she welcomes a “remarkably constructive” spirit of discussion.
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO Director-General): he calls on delegations to turn their commitment into results in the negotiating room.
What's next
- Formal negotiations from 11 to 15 January 2027, then from 15 to 19 February and from 15 to 25 March 2027.
- Consideration of the annex by the World Health Assembly in May 2027.
Further reading
Sources
- WHO – Member States reiterate commitment to finalize Pandemic Agreement PABS Annex by May 2027 (official source)
- France 24 (AFP) – WHO pandemic agreement: “progress” towards finalisation
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