Negotiating body to prepare for future pandemics established by WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has established an Inter-governmental Negotiating Body
(INB) that will help prepare countries for any pandemic in the future.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony made the disclosure during Thursday’s COVID-19 update.
He noted that the initiative will be carried out by a representative from each of the six WHO
regions.
He revealed that Guyana, a country of the Americas, was tasked with coordinating a meeting
with other similar countries to select a representative of the secretariat. Dr. Anthony said that
during that meeting, Brazil was nominated.
“That body is going to continue to have a series of meetings as we develop and craft a new
instrument to make us better prepared for future pandemics, so Guyana will be an integral part of
those discussions,” Dr. Anthony said.
He noted that with the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world, the
minister said “all the countries of the world should participate in negotiating a new instrument
dealing with pandemic preparedness.”
Minister Anthony revealed that the first meeting of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Body
commenced on Thursday with him speaking on behalf of countries in the Americas.