STATEMENT: The Elders caution that bilateral agreements giving access to pathogen data could fragment multilateral arrangements for pandemic preparedness and response, which are needed to keep all people safe from future threats.

Several countries are being approached to sign long-term bilateral agreements that make giving access to pathogen samples and genetic sequencing data a condition for resuming global health assistance. These arrangements include commitments that access to specimens can be retained for up to 25 years. To date, there is no assurance that countries providing this data would receive timely sharing of the benefits, including the vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed from it.

This development comes as World Health Organization member states continue negotiations on a pathogen access and benefit-sharing annex to the Pandemic Agreement adopted in May. These negotiations have principles of equity and solidarity at their core.

Parallel systems created through bilateral agreements should not undermine the foundations of global preparedness and response being built at the multilateral level. Once multilateralism is hollowed out, it is hard to rebuild.

The Elders support the objectives of the Accra Reset, which encourage countries to assert health sovereignty. Bilateral agreements that do not pair pathogen access with benefit-sharing would be unlikely to advance that goal. Coordination within and across regions could help ensure that any engagement on pathogen data reinforces fair access to life-saving countermeasures. Where bilateral arrangements are considered, full participation in the multilateral system for data access and benefit-sharing should be maintained.

Decisions taken now will determine whether the world can build a future of shared safety and collective action, and whether all people are protected from pandemic threats.

ENDS

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Laureate and Chair of The Elders 

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, Co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders  

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO 

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former head of the UN Development Programme 

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia 

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate 

Denis Mukwege, physician and human rights advocate, Nobel Peace Laureate 

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico 

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