Explainer
Following three years of negotiations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has formally adopted a legally binding agreement aiming to improve member countries’ pandemic preparedness and response.
The Pandemic Agreement requires Canada to carry out actions like strengthening disease surveillance, improving its health-care system and supply chain for pandemic-related health products, and ensuring drug manufacturers set aside vaccines and therapeutics for developing countries.
The treaty does not give the WHO the power to direct Canada to carry out measures like travel bans, lockdowns, or vaccine mandates. The agreement also allows for Canada to back out of it two years after it officially comes into force….