International efforts to finalise the critical remaining framework of a global pandemic treaty have ended without a breakthrough following a seventh round of intense negotiations, the World Health Organization confirmed on Monday.
Deep divisions remain between wealthy countries and developing nations over how the agreement, which was adopted last year to coordinate defences against future outbreaks, will operate in practice. While the core treaty text achieved international backing in May 2025, details concerning its most crucial operating mechanism were intentionally omitted at the time to secure the initial deal.
The unresolved section focuses on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system, known as PABS. This framework regulates the rapid collection and distribution of dangerous biological samples while ensuring that poorer countries receive equitable access to resulting medical developments, including diagnostic kits, antiviral therapies, and vaccines.
The system was originally scheduled for finalisation by May 2026. However, diplomatic progress has been exceptionally slow, and a two-week summit at the United Nations health agency headquarters in Switzerland concluded on Friday with only minor adjustments to the working text.
Delegates are now scheduled to return to the negotiating table for an eighth round of talks, which will take place between September 14 and September 18.
The World Health Organization stated that member states managed to advance consultations on the technical annex, though all parties agreed that extensive talks are required to deliver a system capable of executing a fast, effective, and fair response to future global health emergencies. Recent sessions focused heavily on the legal contracts underpinning the structure, the international laboratory networks managing the viral data, and the precise definition of economic and medical benefits.
The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that while notable differences persist, these gaps can be closed if negotiators maintain focus on the collective target of rapid scientific data sharing and fair distribution. The health chief warned that the objective remains deeply urgent, stating that the next pandemic will not wait and that nations cannot afford to delay.
The co-chair of the working group, Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes of Brazil, added that the fortnight of discussions yielded meaningful progress on highly complex political and technical areas, noting that a clear path forward exists despite the remaining challenges.
The initial pandemic pact was formulated after more than three years of diplomatic friction triggered by the systemic shock of the coronavirus crisis. The treaty aims to prevent a repeat of the fractured international response seen during that period by upgrading global surveillance networks and supply chain coordination.
Individual nations will only be permitted to formally ratify the broader treaty once the standalone pathogen annex is completely finalised.
