Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organisation’s pandemic treaty while it insists the U.K. would have to give away a fifth of its jabs, the Telegraph reports.
The U.K. is firmly against such vaccine-related commitments and will not sign any form of the pandemic agreement that undermines Britain’s sovereignty.
Representatives of the WHO’s 194 member states are halfway through talks to try to agree to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, an initiative first announced in May 2021.
At the peak of the Covid emergency, nations planned to sign a legally binding document, informally known as the pandemic treaty, or pandemic accord, that would force countries to tackle the next global health emergency in a united way.
Under the terms of the latest draft of the treaty, now in its ninth and final iteration, all member states, including the U.K., would be obliged to give up 20% of “pandemic-related health products” to other countries and would be prevented from stockpiling supplies. This would include therapeutics, PPE and vaccines.
The WHO document states the UN-run agency would get “real-time access” to 10% of these products for free, and 10% “at affordable prices”.
The divisive document says countries should “set aside a portion of its total procurement of relevant diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccines in a timely manner for use in countries facing challenges… and avoid having national stockpiles of pandemic-related health products”.
A source familiar with the negotiations said: “The U.K. could not accept these proposals in their current form – and they have not been agreed.”
It is understood the U.K. will only agree to a legally binding global accord if there is a commitment that British-made jabs are used for what the U.K. deems to be its own national interest.
Officials are understood to want to remain in control of being able to choose when it is best for the U.K. to distribute products globally and when resources will be best deployed domestically.
It is understood that while the U.K. is keen to work towards a united approach, it is not prepared to give up autonomy on its own assets.
Worth reading in full.
Of all the problems with the loss of sovereignty during (WHO-declared) ‘public health emergencies’ entailed by the current treaty proposals, having to give away some of our vaccines and medicines to poor countries is hardly top of the list. How about not being railroaded into lockdowns and travel restrictions? But it seems that vaccines are all our Government seems to care about now.
Stop Press: Dr. Meryl Nass reports that 22 Attorneys-General in the U.S. have told Joe Biden that the WHO will not be making public policy in their states.
Stop Press 2: Ross Clark in the Spectator says Britain is right to stand up against the WHO’s power grab.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.