Geneva: The World Health Organization has raised alarms over the international community’s failure to finalize a treaty on epidemics, highlighting the slow pace of progress in negotiations as a pressing concern.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgency of the matter at the conclusion of the penultimate round of talks. He noted that countries are on the brink of reaching a landmark agreement focused on epidemic prevention, preparedness, and response. This follows a week of discussions, with only five days left for the formal negotiations scheduled to occur from April 7 to 11. In an effort to overcome the current impasse, countries have agreed to hold informal meetings in March.

Ghebreyesus urged nations not to let minor disagreements over wording, punctuation, or percentages derail the agreement, cautioning that history will not be kind to those who fail to meet their commitments. Although there is consensus on much of the draft text, significant differences persist regarding the sharing of data on potential pandemic pathogens and the equitable distribution of benefits derived from them, such as vaccines, tests, and treatments.