Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached an accord "in principle" over how to tackle future pandemics after three years of discussions triggered by the global Covid pandemic.
"We have an accord in principle" Claire Amprou, the co-chair of the negotiating body, told France's AFP news agency on Saturday.
Amprou, who is also French ambassador for world health, said delegates are to meet on Tuesday in Geneva to put the finishing touches to the treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
It will then require the final seal of approval from all WHO members at the World Health Assembly in Geneva at the end of May.
The pact, which WHO's 194 member states have been arduously negotiating for three years, is intended to shore up the world's defences against new pathogens after the Covid-19 pandemic killed millions of people in 2020-22.
If ratified, it would be legally binding.
The approval came after a marathon discussion session stretching for almost 24 hours. One of the sticking points, AFP reported, was on the transfer of technology for producing vaccines and drugs for the benefit of developing countries.
The issue had been a bone of contention in poorer countries during the Covid-19 pandemic as they saw rich nations hoard vaccine doses and other tests.
Several countries where the pharmaceutical industry is a major economic player oppose the idea of mandatory transfers and have insisted on it being voluntary.
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'A floor, not a ceiling'
Sealing a pandemic treaty has taken on new urgency after US President Donald Trump slashed his country's international aid programme.
The United States, which was slow to join the early talks, left the discussions this year after Trump issued an executive order in February withdrawing from the WHO and barring participation in the talks.
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Saturday's text falls short of WHO member states' initial ambitions.
"The pandemic agreement will not be perfect; it is a product of compromise, and not all ambitions will be met," said Michelle Childs, head of policy advocacy at the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi).
But she insisted it would "create a crucial new baseline to build on to save lives during the next global health emergency. It is a floor, not a ceiling."
Warning signs of health risks remain, notably the H5N1 bird flu virus which continues to infect new species, raising fears of transmission between humans.
Another concern is the outbreak of measles in 58 countries where misinformation over vaccines has lowered vaccination rates, and mpox which has affected DRC, Burundi and Uganda in particular.
The negotiations have been vexed throughout by allegations from commentators notably in the US, Britain and Australia, that they could undermine national sovereignty by giving too much power to a UN agency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has rejected the claims, saying the accord would help countries better guard against pandemic outbreaks.
This week in Geneva, a small group of campaigners protested against the talks with one holding up a sign with a fanged snake uncoiling itself from the WHO symbol, with the motto: "WHO ARE YOU TO TAKE AWAY MY FREEDOMS?!", Reuters reported.
(with newswires)
