New York, Feb. 21, 2025 – WCS this week called for Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to adopt a legally binding Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Agreement that includes a robust and ambitious focus on preventing pandemics at the source.
Negotiations for the agreement are ongoing, with the final talks to take place April 7-11 in Geneva at the WHO. If governments can reach consensus, the agreement will be adopted at the World Health Assembly in May at WHO headquarters. WCS continues to offer its scientific and technical expertise, in the hopes that governments will agree on a strong agreement that will help prevent pathogen spillovers and future pandemics of zoonotic origin.
WCS has provided scientific and technical information and recommendations to the governments over the three years of negotiations which began as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. WCS is the only large field-based international conservation organization that intervened this week and has followed the negotiations from the beginning.
WCS Vice President for International Policy, Dr. Susan Lieberman, addressed the governments on Thursday during the negotiations on the two critical Articles of the Agreement of greatest concern to WCS—Article 4 on Pandemic Prevention, and Article 5 on the One Health Approach:
“The Wildlife Conservation Society appreciates the time, effort, and consideration in developing the latest Proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement. We appreciate the steps taken to integrate One Health and prevention of pathogen spillover into the text and are generally satisfied with the current text of Articles 4 and 5, as the best way forward to reach consensus, although we would have preferred stronger text on prevention.
“WCS is the only large international conservation organization with an embedded wildlife health program that works on the ground in close to 60 countries, largely in the Global South. We are an active, respected partner and scientific and technical resource where we work, on the ground/in the field, and continue to offer our assistance to Member States, the INB (Intergovernmental Negotiating Body), and the WHO Secretariat.
“The next pandemic will most likely have a zoonotic origin and wildlife source, and we would have preferred greater emphasis on commitments to primary prevention across the text and specifically in Articles 4 & 5 to address pathogen spillovers at source. Human behaviors, practices, and policies at the human-livestock-environment-wildlife interfaces, as we see repeatedly across live wildlife trade and wildlife markets in urban centers, drive the evolution and emergence of novel pathogens. Tackling multiple-host outbreaks cannot be successful with a traditional public health response. Only a systems-based trans-disciplinary approach that bridges the human-animal and environmental health sectors can improve health outcomes for all.
“We urge you to vigorously defend and ideally strengthen the proposed text, in particular Articles 4 and 5 as drafted. In this changing world of withdrawals from global commitments and responsibilities now is not the time to go backwards. Infectious diseases know no borders. Their spread underscores the critical need for a strong, reliable, and committed collaborative network to prevent spillover, detect threats early and respond effectively. We urge the WHO and its Member States to act swiftly to ensure that this agreement includes provisions that will truly reduce the risk of pathogen spillovers, epidemics, pandemics, and the emergence of diseases at the human-animal-environment interfaces.
“We call on you to deliver an international, legally binding agreement that includes a robust and ambitious focus on prevention at source to achieve a global common good of health for all. Time is short, and we hope that future generations can look back at this point in time with appreciation and not regret the road not taken.”
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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
WCS combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and WCS Global in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world’s largest conservation field program, in partnership with governments, Indigenous People, Local Communities, and the private sector. It’s four zoos and aquarium (the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium ) help save wildlife and welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring generations to care for nature. Visit: . Follow: . For more information: +1 (347) 840-1242. .
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