Following the decision of the World Health Assembly in December 2021 to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, the INB met for the first time in February 2021 and will resume this meeting on 14-15 March 2022.
The full and meaningful participation of civil society and communities at the earliest stages of the drafting process is essential to ensure a human rights-based approach. Ahead of the meeting, over 90 civil society organisations, community organisations and concerned individuals have signed a letter calling for INB to review the proposed modalities of engagement for relevant stakeholders released on 10 March 2022 to ensure the full and meaningful participation of civil society and communities beyond those in official relations with WHO, by providing opportunities to engage directly in the drafting process. This participation should include (but not be limited to), opportunities to speak at INB sessions (both in-person and remotely), regional consultations, civil society briefings, opportunities to submit written statements and recommendations, timely access to documents, and the provision of interpretation services.
A copy of the letter can be found here