China has expressed strong support for the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue leading negotiations on a global pandemic agreement, emphasizing the importance of multilateral cooperation in strengthening global health governance.
Speaking at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Hu Guang, head of health emergency response at China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), highlighted the pandemic agreement as a key element in future reforms of global public health governance.
“China has been actively participating in the negotiations, playing a constructive role in drafting the agreement,” Hu stated during an interview. He emphasized China’s commitment to multilateralism and global solidarity, underscoring the need to respect national sovereignty while enhancing the WHO’s central role in global health matters.
Despite member states not reaching full consensus on all articles of the agreement at this year’s assembly, Hu noted considerable progress made over the past two years through collaborative efforts. “Member states have agreed on many provisions, laying a solid foundation for follow-up talks to advance the agreement,” he said.
Hu acknowledged that challenges remain before the international instrument can be finalized. “There is still a long way to go before the new international instrument is signed, and some mechanisms and working measures mentioned need further improvement,” he remarked.
China hopes the WHO will continue to play a leading role in strengthening global coordination, particularly in increasing support for developing countries at technical, financial, and resource levels. “Effectively addressing existing equity-related issues and overcoming shortcomings in global pandemic response are essential to fulfilling the original aspiration of formulating the new international instrument,” Hu concluded.
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China supports WHO in leading pandemic agreement negotiations
cgtn.com
