GI-ESCR joins 19 organizations calling for the involvement of civil society in the Pandemic Treaty

GI-ESCR has joined other 19 organisations and experts in a letter addressed to Ms. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to solicit the urgent engagement of her office with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stakeholders involved in the development of the new “WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness” (“Pandemic Treaty”), as determined by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in December 2021.

The main concern comes from the fact that we, the organisations, are deeply concerned that the Pandemic Treaty process will fail to ensure meaningful civil society (including community) participation, and that it risks becoming a missed opportunity to promote the safeguarding and strengthening of human rights protections in public health emergencies.