Co-chairs, Dr Abdullah Assiri and Dr Ashley Bloomfield,
Vice-chairs, Members of the Bureau, Your Excellencies, Honourable delegates, dear colleagues and friends,
It is a pleasure to welcome you all today.
This is your third meeting, and you have quite a task ahead, as you consider the more than three hundred proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations.
I have been regularly updated on your progress and I am impressed with the systematic and thorough approach that you are taking.
I want to thank the Bureau of the Working Group and the two Co-Chairs, for diligently facilitating your important work over the last six months.
And I am also pleased that you find the Report of the IHR Review Committee on amendments a useful guide in your deliberations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community has learned a great deal about how the IHR functions in a public health emergency of international concern.
But the pandemic also revealed deep inequalities in the global health architecture at the national and global levels.
As you know, your work is happening in parallel with the negotiations for a new accord for pandemic preparedness and response.
It is important to note that currently, the IHR are the only universal instrument for global health security that the world has.
That is why bold but well-targeted amendments are so vital, as is coordination between the two negotiating processes.
The IHR rely on the world-wide application of obligations for international cooperation and assistance, in respect of human rights, and the underlying principles of solidarity.
The process of amending the IHR offers an opportunity to strengthen and extend these principles.
But these adjustments to the IHR also have practical implications.
As we have learned from many outbreaks in recent years, speed during the early stages of a potential public health emergency is of utmost importance.
It may mean the difference between a local outbreak and a global pandemic.
And yet currently, the IHR’s incentive structures are not well aligned.
States that adhere to their IHR obligations to quickly notify WHO of public health events are sometimes penalized by travel and trade restrictions.
Amending the IHR should lead to an incentive structure that encourages, rather than punishes, transparency and IHR compliance.
Last, but not least, the IHR should promote good governance – that is, transparency, accountability, and inclusive participation.
At the end of your work, the amended IHR should further encourage and facilitate cooperation and collaboration in the global response to public health threats with risks of international spread.
We all want to prevent small outbreaks from becoming global threats.
I know that today, you will consider three articles that seek to address the issues of implementation and compliance.
These are critical elements in ensuring accountability, and I hope you will reach agreement on the format and functions for an effective compliance mechanism.
I wish you success in your deliberations. The Secretariat is at your service to facilitate your work.