The pandemic agreement negotiations are entering the home stretch, but NGOs and global health observers are still not happy with the latest draft of the agreement.
The revised draft, dated March 7, was circulated to partners over the weekend. It comes after a two-week marathon session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, or INB, that ended March 1, and one week ahead of its scheduled final session that starts on March 18, where member states are expected to engage in text-based negotiations for nine days.
According to observers and NGOs, the text remains weak on compliance, and text on the hot-button issue of pathogen access and benefit sharing still does not equate to equal benefits for low- and middle-income countries. Some also want language that goes beyond recognizing the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPS, agreement, which is already known.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
