The WHO Pandemic Treaty
Ethical Imperatives and Political Realities in Global Health Governance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.58.1Keywords:
Global Health Governance, COVID-19, Pandemic, Pandemic Treaty, Bioethics, Science DiplomacyAbstract
This paper examines the political and ethical implications of the proposed pandemic treaty within the context of global health governance (GHG). Analyzing the treaty's development, we found that the explicit political content has been moderated from the initial draft of the document to its latest version. The treaty’s ethical considerations rooted in global bioethics, however, remain central. Bearing this finding in mind, we explore the treaty’s navigation of global health imperatives and national sovereignty. More so, we highlight the treaty's potential to reshape international health relations through scientific cooperation and knowledge sharing, and we consider the document’s adaptability to emerging technologies in healthcare, such as AI. Despite implementation challenges of the treaty, we conclude that this document represents a significant step toward formalizing the interconnection between global health and politics, underscoring the enduring relevance of ethical approaches in international health governance and diplomacy.
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