24 Nov. 2021

The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world

G2H2 and Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung

Date: 24 November 2021

Time: 13.30-15.00 CET

Location: Geneva/Zoom

To attend the launch event in Geneva: RSVP here
To follow the launch event via Zoom: Please register here

Interpretation is available from English to French and Spanish, via Zoom only (if you need interpretations, please register online and bring along your device and headset). Attendants are welcome to provide input in Spanish and French.


The report

After almost two years of battling an unprecedented health emergency, the world continues to be confronted with new waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global South finds itself in the grip of a new form of systemic inequality enshrined in the patently flawed vaccine distribution strategy. At an upcoming Special Session of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization and its member states are undertaking an effort to agree on negotiating a new international legal instrument for pandemic preparedness and response.

But does the world need a new “pandemic treaty”? Is it the right thing, at the right time? The Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) has unpacked these pertinent questions through research undertaken involving a broad range of experts including those who have concretely tackled the COVID-19 response in their countries. G2H2 has mapped the complexity of this treaty proposal and its potential implications for the future scenario of global health governance. 

The resulting report that will be published and launched by G2H2 on 24 November addresses the need for new approaches to the challenge of a pandemic future. In the wake of the harsh but real lessons that COVID-19 continues to administer, it focuses on some of the pathogenetic structures that must be recognized if the international community is serious about restoring democratic multilateralism and giving the world and the people a proper chance to better deal with future health emergencies and crises.

This G2H2 research and advocacy project is sponsored by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung with funds of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany.


Launch of the report: Wednesday, 24 November 2021

We herewith kindly invite all interested in global health policies and governance to attend the launch of the G2H2 report “The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world” on Wednesday, 24 November 2021, 13.30-15.00 hrs CET, either in Geneva (register here) or via Zoom (register here). We do hope to see many of you in presence.

Programme

  • Welcome
  • Presentation of the G2H2 report
    Nicoletta Dentico, Society for International Development, G2H2 co-president and project team coordinator
    Priti Patnaik, Editor Geneva Health Files, Geneva, co-author of the report
    Remco van de Pas, Institute for Tropical Medicine Antwerp, co-author of the report
  • The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world
    Discussion with invited panelists and all participants (Geneva and via Zoom)

Venue and logistics

  • The Geneva launch of the G2H2 report is kindly co-hosted by the World Council of Churches and will take place at the WCC Ecumenical Centre, Route des Morillons 1, Grand-Saconnex, in walking distance from the WHO HQ (map here). Get back to us for any enquiries about how to reach the WCC Ecumenical Centre.
  • All initial presentations and inputs will be in English. Interpretation is available from English to French and Spanish, via Zoom only (if you need interpretations, please register online and bring along your device and headset). Attendants are welcome to provide input in Spanish and French.
  • In Geneva, refreshments are available from 13.00 hrs until the start of the meeting.
    The launch event will start at 13.30 hrs sharp.
  • According to the requirements for public events in Switzerland, all attendants of the Geneva launch event are requested to show their Covid-19 certificate upon arrival at the meeting venue.

Updates and promotion

Background

Contacts for enquiries

Geneva launch event: Thomas Schwarz, G2H2 Secretariat