Nations fail to reach pandemic accord, talks to resume in April

GENEVA - Two years of talks aimed at striking a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics failed to seal a deal in time on Thursday, and will restart next month for one final push.

Scarred by Covid-19, which shredded economies, overturned societies, crippled health systems and killed millions, countries are trying to craft an international accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

But while they largely agree on the principles of what should be done when the next pandemic strikes, nations are still at odds over how far they are prepared to go to turn those notions into binding commitments.

The ninth and supposedly final two-week round of talks therefore ended Thursday without finding a breakthrough.

"You are not far away from concluding a deal," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told countries as the talks petered out at the WHO headquarters in Geneva.

"I always keep hope alive and I am hopeful that you will. 

"The treaty is a life-saving instrument, not merely a piece of paper," he added.

"It holds the power to transform our collective response to future pandemics, to protect lives and to safeguard the wellbeing of communities."

He urged nations to work towards getting a final agreement by the end of May.

Mindful that a pandemic could hit at any time, the plan was to finalise an agreement at these talks, so it could be approved by the WHO's 194 member states at their annual assembly, which starts on May 27.

Instead, fresh talks will run from April 29 to May 10.