Member States have concluded two weeks of talks in Geneva aimed at finalizing the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Key facts
- •The seventh IGWG meeting took place in Geneva from July 6-17, 2026.
- •The PABS system aims to balance rapid pathogen sharing with equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics.
- •Negotiations addressed laboratory network structures and the definition of benefits arising from pathogen sharing.
- •The eighth IGWG meeting is scheduled for September 14-18, 2026.
- •The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2025 via resolution WHA78.1.
WHO Member States have concluded the seventh meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) in Geneva, where they advanced negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex. The two-week session focused on developing a framework for the rapid sharing of pandemic-potential pathogens and the equitable distribution of resulting benefits, such as vaccines and diagnostics.
Negotiation Progress and Focus Areas
During the meeting, which ran from July 6 to July 17, 2026, participants worked to streamline the draft text of the PABS annex. Discussions centered on the contractual arrangements for the system, the structure of laboratory networks tasked with handling pathogens and sequence information, and defining the benefits derived from sharing these materials.
Future Steps for the Pandemic Agreement
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgency of the work, noting that while differences remain, the goal is to ensure rapid scientific sharing and equitable benefit distribution. The IGWG is scheduled to reconvene for its eighth meeting from September 14 to September 18, 2026, to continue efforts toward finalizing the annex.
Timeline
- May 2025The World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement and established the IGWG.
- July 6-17, 2026The seventh meeting of the IGWG was held in Geneva to negotiate the PABS annex.
- September 14-18, 2026The eighth meeting of the IGWG is scheduled to take place.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by WHO News.
