Esteemed members of the IHR Review Committee, esteemed Member States, dear colleagues and friends,
As you know, this is the 6th and final meeting of the Review Committee on amendments to the IHR, which I convened last October at the request of Member States.
Thank you all for your commitment to this vitally important process, through face-to-face and virtual meetings, and through the many hours you have devoted in between meetings, in addition to your own demanding professional commitments.
I am deeply grateful for your time and advice.
I thank in particular the officers of the Committee for their leadership: the Chair, Dr Patrick Amoth, who unfortunately cannot be with us this week; the Vice-Chair, His Excellency Ambassador Juan José Gomez Camacho; and the Rapporteur, Dr Clare Wenham.
In total, more than 300 amendments were proposed by Member States, for 33 of the IHR’s 66 articles and for five of its nine annexes; in addition, six new articles and one new annex were proposed.
The proposed amendments reflect the critical need to strengthen the IHR to improve prevention, preparedness, and response to public health events that carry a risk of international spread.
The Committee has identified several cross-cutting themes, including equity, transparency, trust, sovereignty, collaboration, and assistance, with the overarching goal of protecting public health.
In particular, the Committee noted a strong intention in the proposed amendments towards strengthening accountability and compliance with the regulations.
I welcome these proposals, as this was one of the key findings of the previous Review Committee, on the functioning of the IHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I look forward to receiving your final report at the end of this week, and to Member States taking forward your recommendations in negotiations on amending the IHR.
Thank you all once again for your dedication and hard work, and your commitment to a healthier, safer, fairer world for the generations who will follow us.
I thank you.