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Global health · Cooperation
To watchNegotiations continue to make the global Pandemic Agreement operational
Published: 20 July 2026
What happened
WHO member states have made further progress in negotiating the PABS system, meant to govern the rapid sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and a fairer distribution of the benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
Issues remain unresolved, however: negotiations will resume in September.
Why it matters
Pandemics show particularly clearly why some problems cannot be tackled effectively by each country on its own.
Sources
World Health Organization (WHO)Official statement
WHO Member States continue negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex
20 July 2026