Governments hold second round of detailed discussions on proposed amendments to International Health Regulations (2005)

Governments this week scrutinized more than a third of the more than 300 proposed amendments to the 2005 World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR). In this third round of intensive discussions, taking place under the auspices of the Working Group on IHR Amendments (WGIHR), 196 States Parties to the IHR – which include 194 WHO Member States^[i] – considered proposed amendments to articles related to public health response, basic capacities for surveillance and response, cooperation and assistance, as well as six newly proposed articles and one new Annex.

The IHR was originally adopted to set out agreed approaches and obligations of States to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks and other acute public health events with a risk of international spread. The original International Sanitary Regulations were revised three times – in 1969 (when they became the International Health Regulations), 1981 and 2005. The third edition (2005) was amended twice – in 2014 and 2022. The most recent proposed amendments come in response to challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have made excellent progress this week, covering more than a third of the proposed amendments, and have addressed critical areas such as key capacities for surveillance and response, and cooperation and assistance. Three new articles on compliance and enforcement were also discussed, as well as new articles related to the public health response, such as proposals for funding mechanisms, access to health products, technologies and knowledge during the public health response,” said Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, former chief director of health, New Zealand and co-chair of the IHR Working Group.

“Covid has shown the world how vulnerable we all are and what needs to be fixed in the global public health architecture if we are to be better prepared for the next big event, and the tone of the discussions during this week’s meeting makes it clear that everyone wants to make sure this process is successful.”

During the four-day meeting from 17 to 20 April, the 196 States Parties to the IHR emphasized the importance of thoroughly considering the proposed amendments regarding their merits in filling critical gaps in the implementation of the IHR, bearing in mind the key importance of the principles of equity, sovereignty and solidarity.

IHR Working Group Co-Chair, Dr. Abdullah M. Assiri, Deputy Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said governments are committed to strengthening IHR for the benefit of every country and every citizen.

“Countries are the driver of this process because they need to implement IHR, fulfill obligations and make key decisions needed to respond to threats to public health. Together, this week we saw how their positive tone and constructive work allowed us to significantly advance the work,” said Dr. Assiri.

Ahead of the meeting, an independent and diverse team of experts prepared a technical assessment of proposed amendments to assist countries in their negotiations.

The WGIHR is expected to meet again three times in 2023 – in July, October and December – to discuss and agree amendments and present a package of proposed amendments to the World Health Assembly in May 2024.

In parallel with the IHR amendment process, governments are also negotiating the drafting of the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Instrument, also called the Pandemic Agreement. The governments will meet again from 12 to 16 June 2023 to consider the zero draft agreement as a basis for the first draft as a basis for negotiations. The WGIHR supported the proposal from the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the Development of the WHO Pandemic Instrument (INB5) to hold a joint plenary meeting of the two bodies.

WHO member states issued the International Sanitary Regulations in 1951, the forerunner of the IHR, which entered into force in 2005. IHR is an instrument of international law that is legally binding on 196 state parties, including 194 WHO member states.