WHO pandemic agreement

The WHO Pandemic Agreement is designed to strengthen the early detection of dangerous pathogens and international cooperation in preparing for and managing future pandemics. Negotiations were concluded in mid-April and the agreement will be submitted to the World Health Assembly in May.

The drafting of the WHO pandemic agreement is one of the key recommendations of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic agreement will strengthen international cooperation in various areas of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (e.g. research and development for pandemic-relevant products, early detection of dangerous pathogens).

For Switzerland, binding international cooperation is a key prerequisite for ensuring that countries worldwide are better prepared for health emergencies in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that viruses can spread rapidly across national borders. Closer international cooperation and better preparation will also serve to protect Switzerland and its population.

Current state of affairs

At its special session at the end of 2021, the World Health Assembly (WHA) established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) by consensus. The negotiation process for the pandemic agreement was completed in April 2025, and the outcome will be submitted to the WHA for adoption in May 2025.

Adoption of the agreement by the WHA does not mean that each Member State has the obligation to sign it. The treaty will be opened for signature once the associated access and benefit-sharing mechanism for the exchange of pandemic pathogens is finalised. This is expected to take a further one to two years.

Once the agreement is ready for signature, Switzerland will decide whether to accede to it or not on the basis of the final text. If the Federal Council concludes that the outcome is in Switzerland's interest, it will submit the agreement to Parliament for approval.

The next steps for Switzerland

Once the agreement is ready for signing, Switzerland will decide on the basis of the final wording whether or not to join the agreement. The Federal Council will carefully examine the outcome of the negotiations. If the result is in Switzerland’s interests, the Federal Council will submit the agreement to parliament for approval.

Switzerland will thus continue to decide on its own health policy going forward.

All public meetings of the negotiating body can be viewed retrospectively.