Envisioning an International Normative Framework for Pandemic Preparedness and Response

Overview

Covid-19 has made clear that substantial reforms to the global system for pandemic preparedness and response are urgently needed to mitigate the risk of future catastrophes. As political attention to this imperative grows, careful analysis of the types of international instruments that will best strengthen the global system is critical. Calls for a “pandemic treaty”, first proposed by the president of the European Council and since endorsed by 26 heads of state and the Director-General of the WHO, have added some specificity and urgency to this question. This paper offers a concise analysis of the global systemic weaknesses to be addressed, the range of options of international normative instruments for doing so, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. We then turn to the suitability of WHO as the host intergovernmental organization for such an instrument. The paper concludes with three “menus” of options for possible paths forward.