Commentary
Critics of a proposed pandemic treaty say it would cede U.S. autonomy to the China-led World Health Organization (WHO). Mainstream media say it would not.
Since February 2022, WHO members have been working on a pandemic response accord that would exist under the Constitution of the World Health Organization. The draft accord will be submitted for consideration in 2024 by the 77th World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body. The accord will, according to the WHO’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, combine both legally binding and non-legally binding elements.
Article 19 of the WHO Constitution gives the World Health Assembly the authority to adopt conventions or agreements on any matter within WHO’s competence. Broadly speaking, this would mean that the WHO can draft conventions and agreements on any aspect of health….