Canada's role in the development of an international pandemic agreement
On this page
- World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement
- Engagement with Canadian partners and stakeholders
- Role of the World Health Organization
- Other public health emergency tools and strategies
World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement
Canada is working closely with other countries and international partners to strengthen global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. This includes the development of a new World Health Organization (WHO) convention, agreement or international instrument, sometimes called a:
- pandemic agreement
- pandemic instrument
- pandemic treaty
- pandemic accord
In December 2021, the 194 WHO Member States, including Canada, agreed to launch an intergovernmental negotiating body to develop a pandemic agreement. The agreement will strengthen and coordinate national and international efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics.
At the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024, Member States adopted a resolution to extend Pandemic Agreement negotiations up to 1 year. Member States are expected to submit an outcome before or at the 78th World Health Assembly, which will be held in May 2025.
A pandemic agreement can help nations avoid and reduce the devastating health, social and economic consequences of a potential future pandemic. Canada supports the development of a pandemic agreement to:
- improve global cooperation
- strengthen collective action and accountability
- address gaps in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
If you're interested in learning more about the process and development of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, please visit their web page:
Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response accord: Questions and answers
Engagement with Canadian partners and stakeholders
Canada is taking a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach in the development of the WHO Pandemic Agreement to ensure that Canadian priorities and values are reflected. Canada's engagement strategy aims to facilitate meaningful and inclusive engagement with partners and stakeholders. These include:
- youth
- private sector
- academic experts
- Indigenous organizations
- civil society organizations
- provincial and territorial governments
Canada's Office of International Affairs for the health portfolio has held engagement sessions with partners and stakeholders to discuss the WHO Pandemic Agreement. These sessions are just one element of Canada's engagement strategy. Canada will continue to provide opportunities for engagement.
Learn more:
- Pandemic Agreement Regional Engagement Series (January to February 2024)
- Pandemic Instrument Partner and Stakeholder Engagement Forum Report (March 2023)
Role of the World Health Organization
Canada is a strong supporter of the WHO and engages with them to:
- share our expertise
- advance domestic and global health priorities
- prevent, detect and respond to global health emergencies
- protect the health of people living in Canada and around the world
The WHO provides a unique international venue to convene discussions to strengthen the global health architecture. The WHO Secretariat supports the intergovernmental negotiating body by offering technical and legal guidance and scientific advice. However, the countries themselves will fully lead the process to develop a pandemic agreement and decide on its content.
The WHO has no jurisdiction in Canada, and Canada will remain in control of any future domestic decisions about national restrictions or other measures related to pandemics. When negotiating a new international agreement, the Government of Canada will always carefully consider:
- its potential impact on our domestic laws and policies
- if there is a need for a domestic legislation to implement our international obligations
Other public health emergency tools and strategies
The new WHO Pandemic Agreement will be one tool among others to improve how the world prevents, prepares for, and responds to future international health emergencies.
In the WHO context, countries are also working to strengthen the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005), an international instrument that is legally binding on 196 countries, including Canada. The IHR (2005), which came into force in 2007, require countries to work together for global health security. They are focused on addressing serious public health threats that have the potential to spread beyond a country's borders to other parts of the world.
Through the IHR (2005), countries have agreed to detect, assess, report on, and respond to public health events, and strengthen capacities to do so. The IHR (2005) focuses on detection and response to international health emergencies more broadly. Moreover, the WHO Pandemic Agreement will aim to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response actions specifically for pandemics using a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach.
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