The WHO Pandemic Agreement: Bolstering Global Health Security Against Political Headwinds

COVID-19 marked a watershed moment in global health-security governance. The limitations of the International Health Regulations became apparent, particularly when it came to incentivising timely outbreak reporting and ensuring effective international coordination. These shortcomings fuelled a widespread perception that the global health-security architecture was not fit for purpose, triggering a push for a new legal instrument – the Pandemic Agreement – to be adopted under the auspices of the World Health Organization. After three years of contentious negotiations, the World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 – marking a significant victory for multilateralism. However, several key details remain unresolved, and questions have emerged about the treaty’s robustness, effectiveness, and democratic legitimacy. In this report, we examine the global pursuit of a Pandemic Agreement, mapping the key actors in the negotiations and highlighting the primary challenges for its future implementation.