Speaking on Monday, July 6, 2026, at the opening of the Seventh Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG), Dr. Tedros acknowledged that negotiators had initially hoped to finalise the annex before its presentation to this year's World Health Assembly. However, he stressed that completing the negotiations now is more important than dwelling on missed deadlines.
“We had all hoped that negotiations on the PABS annex would be complete in time for adoption at this year’s World Health Assembly. That didn’t happen. But that’s not what matters now,”he said.
The PABS annex is regarded as one of the most important elements of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. It is designed to establish a framework for the rapid sharing of pathogen samples and scientific data during disease outbreaks while ensuring that vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other benefits developed from those resources are distributed fairly among countries.
Dr. Tedros commended delegates for remaining engaged in the negotiation process despite the complex issues still under discussion. He described their continued participation as a strong demonstration that international cooperation remains possible, even amid differing national interests.
“Your presence here today tells the world something important: that despite everything, multilateralism is alive. You are proving that cooperation, dialogue and compromise are still possible,”he said.
He encouraged member states to build on the constructive discussions held during recent informal meetings and maintain the spirit of collaboration needed to reach a consensus. According to him, the objective is to create a balanced and effective system that allows countries to share pathogen samples quickly during health emergencies while guaranteeing that the benefits arising from those samples are shared equitably across the world.
While admitting that difficult issues remain unresolved, the WHO Director-General expressed confidence that compromise is still within reach.
“I won’t pretend the final stretch will be easy. The differences that remain are real, but they are not impossible to bridge,”he said.
Dr. Tedros also cautioned that every delay in completing the agreement weakens the world's ability to respond effectively when the next major infectious disease outbreak occurs.
“The next pandemic will not wait for us to be ready,” he warned.
To underscore the urgency of the negotiations, he cited the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as evidence that infectious disease threats remain a constant global challenge. He also referenced the recent successful containment of a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, noting that swift international cooperation helped prevent the situation from escalating into a broader public health crisis.
“The Ebola outbreak is proof that the threat never truly goes away. Every month that this annex remains unfinished is a month the world stays less prepared than it could be,”he said.
As negotiations enter another critical phase, Dr. Tedros urged delegates to use the two-week session to narrow remaining differences and deliver an agreement that strengthens global health security for future generations.
“So please, let’s get this done – not for an institution, not for a process, but for the people whose lives depend on it,”he said.
The Seventh Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group is scheduled to continue over the next two weeks, during which WHO member states will work toward finalising the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing annex. Once completed, the annex will become a key pillar of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, aimed at improving global preparedness for future health emergencies while promoting fair and equitable access to the benefits derived from the sharing of pathogen samples and related scientific data.