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G20 Health Ministers | Road to the 2024 Rio de Janeiro Summit

Chair's Summary – Virtual G20 Health Ministers Meeting on INB

March 13, 2024
[PDF – English]  [PDF – Portuguese]

Minister Nísia Trindade, in her capacity as Chair of the G20 Health Working Group, convened an extraordinary virtual meeting of the Group's Health Ministers to discuss ongoing negotiations at the World Health Organization on an international agreement for the prevention, preparedness, and response to pandemics (INB) and amendments to the International Health Regulations. The meeting was held on the morning of the 13th of March and was attended by the Director-General of the WHO.

The convening of a meeting of G20 Health Ministers demonstrates Brazil's commitment to bridging positions among the bloc's countries and advancing towards an international agreement that will avoid a repetition of the tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of the meeting, the Brazilian Presidency of the Working Group circulated a summary of the agreements reached ("Chairs' Summary"), for which it is responsible. The English version is reproduced below:

Chair's Summary
Virtual G20 Health Ministers Meeting on INB
13 March 2024

The G20 Health Ministers and High Officials met virtually on March 13, 2024, to discuss the ongoing negotiating processes in the World Health Organization (WHO) on a convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) as well as on the amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR), and to reaffirm their commitment to continue strengthening the Global Health Architecture. The Director-General of the WHO joined them.

They reiterated the need to achieve a successful outcome to the ongoing negotiations and renewed their commitment to an instrument that is ambitious, balanced, effective and fit-for-purpose in the INB. They confirmed their commitment to an inclusive process aimed at achieving health for all.

They reiterated confidence that, in spite of the tragedy witnessed during the COVID-19 Pandemic, multilateralism is crucial to generate collective solutions to improve equity and solidarity in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Among the issues raised by the G20 Health Ministers and High Officials, they emphasized the need to agree on provisions that promote timely and equitable distribution and access to health technologies; geographically diversified and sustainable production capacities, taking into account regional needs; effective prevention and surveillance capacities, including through the One Health approach; resilient health systems; and the sharing of pathogens and benefits through a multilateral system.

While recognizing that WHO Member States are sovereign and responsible for the health of their populations, they noted the imperative to promote international cooperation and sustainable financing.

Building on the efforts of past presidencies, the Health Ministers and High Officials affirmed that G20 nations can and should significantly contribute to the advancement of pandemic preparedness by pushing for the successful conclusion of this negotiation in a timely way, ensuring inclusivity and promoting changes in national and international PPR capacities.

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Source: Official website of Brazil's 2024 G20 presidency