Briefing correspondents in Geneva at his regular weekly press conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “the claim that the deal will transfer powerWHO is just wrong. This is false information.”

States will decide

He explained that countries will decide the wording and scope of any global agreement on how to fight the next pandemic, “and countries alone.”

“No country will surrender its sovereignty to the WHO,” the Director General emphasized.

News reports have highlighted several instances in recent weeks where online news sources and commentators have falsely claimed that the Biden administration is making a deal in the United States to allow the WHO to “police” health laws. An emergency situation in case of another pandemic, for example, on COVID 19.

International negotiations are underway

Earlier this month, WHO member states began negotiations on a draft global agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response based on an agreed “draft zero” to protect countries and communities from future pandemic emergencies.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Group (IGB), which is developing and negotiating the WHO’s preferred agreement, is scheduled to meet again early next month to develop a first draft.

INB co-chair Precious Matsoso of South Africa said at the March meeting that the meeting was “a crucial step to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the COVID-19 response, including sharing life-saving vaccines, providing information and building local capacity.”

dr. Tedros said on Thursday that if a politician, business leader “or anyone else is not quite sure what the pandemic agreement is and what is not, we would be happy to discuss it and explain it”.