Honourable President, Tulia Ackson,
Honourable Secretary General, and my good friend, Martin Chungong,
Honourable Speakers,
Good afternoon, welcome to Geneva, and thank you for the invitation to address you today.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the nations of the world came together in the recognition that the only alternative to global conflict was global cooperation.
In 1945 they formed the United Nations, and in 1948, the World Health Organization.
The Constitution of the WHO became the first instrument of international law to affirm that health is a fundamental human right.
But it went further, saying that health is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security.
That conviction remains as relevant today as it was 77 years ago.
In these divided and divisive times, health is one of the few areas in which countries who are otherwise political and economic rivals can work together to build a common approach to common threats.
Exhibit A is the Pandemic Agreement, which WHO Member States adopted at the World Health Assembly in May this year.
After three-and-a-half years of negotiation, the nations of the world showed that it is still possible for countries to work together, and to find common ground for a common purpose.
Some people spread false information about the Agreement, and others said the Agreement would not happen.
There were sharp differences between countries, and many who doubted that it would succeed.
But it did.
The adoption of the Pandemic Agreement was truly historic – a major win for health, but also for multilateralism in general.
It showed that multilateralism is alive and well.
The adoption of the Pandemic Agreement came at an especially significant time.
As you are all aware, WHO has also been affected by cuts in aid by the United States and other countries.
At the same time, in every crisis there is an opportunity, and I am confident that WHO will emerge from this situation stronger, sharper and more focused on our core mandate – more empowered to serve the nations and people of the world.
But of course, WHO is just one small part of a much bigger picture.
Around the world, dramatic reductions in aid are having severe impacts on health services in many developing countries.
We see disruptions affecting millions of people who are missing out on life-saving services and medicines, including vaccines; health facilities are being forced to close; and supply chains and information systems are disrupted.
But again, in the crisis lies an opportunity.
Many leaders from developing countries, including from Africa, have told me that they also see this current crisis as an opportunity to leave behind the era of aid dependency and transition towards sustainable self-reliance.
WHO is supporting countries to make that transition, by identifying tools to improve efficiency and generate new revenues for health from domestic sources.
For example, by introducing or increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol, through pooled procurement, and public health insurance.
As Speakers of Parliament, you have a key role to play in seizing this opportunity, mobilizing domestic resources, and facilitating the transition to sustainable self-reliance. It is in your hands,
Honourable President, Honourable President, Secretary General,
Let me leave you with three key requests:
First, moving the Pandemic Agreement to completion.
The task now is to complete the remaining negotiations on the annex on Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing, for submission to the World Health Assembly in May 2026.
This is a critical aspect of the Agreement, so that countries sharing virus samples also share in the benefits, such as for vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments.
After it passes the Health Assembly, it will be in the hands of parliaments for ratification at the country level – meaning in your hands.
Parliaments will be the ones to ratify the Agreement, and to translate global consensus into national legislation.
That brings me to my second request.
As you know, there has been a lot of mis- and disinformation about the Pandemic Agreement:
That it will cede sovereignty to WHO, and give us the power to impose mask or vaccine mandates or lockdowns.
That is completely false. The Agreement says explicitly that it will give WHO no such powers.
It will be implemented in countries in accordance with your own national laws.
We seek your support in speaking out against this false information and deceptions.
Finally, we ask for your leadership in advancing sustainable financing for global health.
This year at the World Health Assembly, Member States agreed to further increase WHO’s assessed contributions, but it must now be fully implemented.
Predictable, flexible funding enables WHO to respond more quickly to emergencies, support preparedness, and deliver on our mandate – and to prevent the same shocks that are happening now from happening again.
It is parliaments that can keep governments accountable for their commitments.
Your advocacy and leadership are vital in implementing this commitment in national budgets and appropriations, to protect and promote health for all.
As I have said many times, health is not a cost — it’s an investment in peace, stability, and prosperity.
Honourable Speakers,
I offer my deep appreciation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union for its strong collaboration with WHO.
I am pleased to also remind you that WHO and the IPU now host an annual Global Parliamentary Forum during the World Health Assembly every May in Geneva, which we host with my brother Martin.
It is a unique opportunity to bring the voice of parliaments into global health decision-making, and we hope you will join us there.
I thank you all for your commitment to multilateralism and to building a healthier, safer, and fairer world for all.