Members call for cooperation over pathogen research, access, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The New Delhi Declaration, adopted during the 18th BRICS Summit in September 2026, calls for constructive engagement in negotiations for the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
• The declaration reaffirms the sovereign rights of states over their biological resources and their right to legislate on access and benefit-sharing.
• The PABS Annex is a crucial component, as the broader WHO Pandemic Agreement cannot be fully ratified and enter into force until this annex is finalized.
• A key point of contention is whether the sharing of pathogen samples should be mandatorily linked with the sharing of benefits derived from them, such as vaccines or intellectual property.

Detailed Insights:

• The WHO Pandemic Agreement was initiated in 2021 and adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 20, 2025, aiming to address global cooperation gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This agreement represents only the second legally binding health treaty in the World Health Organization's (WHO) history.
• The PABS Annex is designed to establish a framework for the rapid sharing of dangerous pathogens and the equitable distribution of related medical products like medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines.
• Article 31 of the Pandemic Agreement stipulates that it will only be open for signature after the PABS Annex is adopted, making its finalization critical for the agreement's viability.
• Developing nations advocate for mandatory benefit-sharing commitments, such as earmarking a proportion of production or sharing intellectual property, in exchange for pathogen access.
• Some countries prefer retaining the power to individually negotiate the sharing of such resources, including pathogens and their genetic sequences.
• Different models for the PABS system are under discussion, with African nations supporting a "federated" model and the European Union favoring a "hybrid" approach.
• The "federated" model emphasizes sovereign national and regional nodes, with access conditioned on binding benefit-sharing commitments at the point of use.
• The New Delhi Declaration underscores the importance of multilateral cooperation in health and reaffirms the vital coordinating role of the WHO.
• The principle of sovereign rights over biological resources is enshrined in international instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), affirming states' control over their genetic resources.

Key Concepts Involved:

• WHO Pandemic Agreement: A legally binding international instrument aimed at strengthening global coordination for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
• Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex: A proposed framework within the WHO Pandemic Agreement to ensure equitable sharing of pathogens and the benefits derived from their use.
• Sovereign Rights over Biological Resources: The internationally recognized right of states to control, exploit, and legislate over their biological resources within their national jurisdiction.