Delivered at the Sixth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG 6; 23-28 March 2026).
The time to move from rhetoric to action is now. Resilience Action Network International (rani) encourages Member States to work diligently and make the next six days the decisive moment that delivers an equitable and effective PABS Annex and paves the way for the Pandemic Agreement to enter into force. For five sessions, Member States have explored technical specifications around PABS. It is time to deliver, to move from debate to action, and drive forward the commitments needed to advance a more equitable ecosystem for development and access to countermeasures.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast a shadow across our health systems and geopolitics. It is critical that all stakeholders come together to heed lessons learned from the failures in our pandemic response, especially those impacting the most vulnerable. High income countries, in particular, must hold themselves accountable for the promises they made to right the egregious wrongs of the COVID pandemic, and take meaningful steps to guarantee benefits sharing and equitable access to pandemic countermeasures for everyone, everywhere.
We urge Member States to keep sight of two imperatives: first, the need for an effective PABS and second, the need to deliver on the many gains within the Pandemic Agreement that have the potential to change the status quo. Commitments on supply chains, surveillance, R&D, clinical trials, and coordinated financing can move us forward, but they hinge on advancing the full Pandemic Agreement. A PABS Annex that lays strong foundations – anchored in equity, accountability, and transparency, and supported by mechanisms for regular evaluation and improvement – would be a solid landing point for IGWG 6, and key to advancing implementation of the entire Pandemic Agreement.
We are counting on Member States to get a PABS deal done and advance the Pandemic Agreement the world needs to deliver health security and resilience.
