As part of ongoing WHO negotiations on a pandemic treaty, the WHO secretariat is set to convene four informal, focused consultations (IFCs) on the following themes: 1) legal matters, 2) operationalizing and achieving equity, 3) intellectual property and access to pandemic response products, and 4) One Health, AMR, climate and zoonosis. Each IFC will be publicly broadcast on WHO’s website. According to WHO’s white paper on the IFCs, the “INB Bureau will select the experts to participate in each IFC session.”
The consultation on legal matters will take place on Wednesday, 21 September 2022 from 14:00 CEST to 17:00 CEST. The legal matters IFC will tackle the following issues:
- Relationship between the Pandemic agreement and other instruments, notably IHR
- Sovereignty
- Institutional arrangements and alternatives
- Structural and framework considerations
- Ratification / accession
- Entry into force
For each informal, focused consultation, the INB Bureau selects the external experts to participate in each IFC session. Precious Matsoso, INB Bureau Co-Chair will chair the IFC on legal matters. The session will be moderated by Emma Ross, Senior Research Fellow, Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.
The WHO secretariat provided the list of external and internal experts in advance of the IFC on 21 September 2022 dealing with legal matters.
Participating Experts
External Experts
- Dr Ayelet Berman, National University of Singapore
- Professor Gian Luca Burci, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
- Professor Claudio Grossman, United Nations’ International Law Commission; American University Washington College of Law, United States of America
- Professor Sam Halabi, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University, United States of America
- Professor Danwood Mzikenge Chirwa, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Law, South Africa
- Professor Nilüfer Oral, United Nations’ International Law Commission; Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore
- Professor Matiangai Sirleaf, The University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law, United States of America
- Professor Nguyễn Hồng Thao, United Nations’ International Law Commission; Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and National University of Hanoi, Vietnam
- Dr Pedro Villarreal, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Germany
- Mr Steven Solomon, Principal Legal Officer, WHO Office of the Legal Counsel
WHO Secretariat Experts
The program will run as follows.
Run of Show
21 September 2022 (all times CEST)
1:30-1:55 Participants join the session and test their connection
2:00-2:10 Welcome remarks by the INB Co-chair and introduction of the moderators
2:10-3:40 Roundtable Discussion: Moderator introduces experts’ panel and moderates the presentations and experts’ discussion
3:40-3:55 Health break
3:55-4:25 Discussion and reflection session: Moderated discussions and questions, involving audience and panelists
4:25-4:35 Outlining of main messages by the moderator
4:35-4:45 Closing remarks by the INB Co-chair
According to WHO”s white paper, the objectives of the IFCs are the following:
- Provide a forum for interactive discussion among Member States, relevant stakeholders and subject matter experts to advance understanding of the issues and concepts raised by the working draft;
- Inform the development of the Conceptual zero draft for INB3, including from the technical and policy perspectives; and
- Share knowledge and expertise, including to inform Member States in their work relating to the INB.