- Family of murdered Sri Lanka editor seek justice from new president
- Austria's far right woos anti-vaxxers with fund for vaccine 'victims'
- Long wait for justice in India's backlogged courts
- Rohingya refugees detail worsening violence in Myanmar
- Rescuers comb muddy riverbanks after Japan floods kill six
- Sri Lankan leftist leader sworn in after landslide election win
- Indonesia, NZ deny Papua rebel claim 'bribe' paid for pilot release
- Swearing, shoeys and swift legs: Singapore GP talking points
- South Korea warns of 'decisive' action against trash balloons
- Football Australia names Tony Popovic as Socceroos coach
- Japan quake, flood victim attempts fresh start with wife's memory
- Japan quake, flood victim attemps fresh start with wife's memory
- Asian markets extend gains as focus turns to US inflation
- Six dead after floods in central Japan: media
- Australian golf prodigy suffers career-threatening eye injury
- Gaza hospital a symbol of the ruin of war
- October 7: how Israel's deadliest day unfolded
- Bibles, sneakers, silver coins: Trump's merch for sale
- Met Opera opens season with tech-heavy 'Grounded'
- Colombia's Inirida flower: from 'weed' to emblem for UN meeting
- Colombia rebel group imposes control in restive coca zone
- Rams fight back to upset 49ers, Cowboys lose again
- Sri Lankan leftist leader to take office after landslide election win
- 300-kilo WWI bomb removed in Belgrade
- Zelensky in US to explain war plan to Biden, Harris, Trump
- 'Atrocious' Sudan war pushing refugees further afield: UNHCR chief
- 'Convergence' growing on global plastics treaty: UN environment chief
- MLB White Sox fall to Padres to match one-season loss mark
- All-Australian Ripper squad captures LIV Golf team crown
- Barnier promises compromise from France's embattled new govt
- Zelensky arrives in US to explain war plan to Biden
- Barca rout Villarreal but Ter Stegen hurt, Atletico draw at Rayo
- Darnold shines for Vikings, Steelers and Eagles win
- Atletico held to draw at Rayo Vallecano
- Marseille stun Lyon with 95th-minute winner after early red card
- Gabbia ends AC Milan's derby pain with late winner against Inter
- Surging Ko claims LPGA Queen City crown in spectacular style
- 'Impossible': Alcaraz shoots down Federer comparisons after Laver Cup win
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote
- Verstappen says 'silly' swearing row could hasten F1 exit
- Calls for Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the abyss
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to avoid 'catastrophe'
- Colombia battles fires as drought fuels Latin American flames
- Pressure piles on new French government from day one
- Arteta proud as Arsenal salvage point from 'impossible' task
- Barca rout Villarreal in thriller but Ter Stegen hurt
- Roma stroll past Udinese as fans protest De Rossi sacking
- Horschel outduels McIlroy to win PGA Championship play-off
- Audiences summon 'Beetlejuice' to top of N. America box office for third week
- Stones salvages point for Man City against 10-man Arsenal
Pandemic accord talks at loggerheads as time ticks away
The final round of talks on a landmark pandemic accord faces a frantic last push this week, with countries still pulling in different directions on how to handle future global health crises.
The last week of negotiations runs until Thursday with nations trying to hammer out an agreement to make sure the world is better prepared to deal with the next pandemic -- or better still, stamp it out before it even happens.
Shaken by Covid-19, which shredded economies, overturned societies, crippled health systems and killed millions, countries decided in December 2021 to build a framework of binding commitments to stop such trauma from ever happening again.
But as two years of talks come to the crunch, major sticking points remain over how far countries are prepared to go.
The ninth and final negotiations round opened on March 18, with daily talks ploughing on late into the evening.
Sealing a deal will involve some serious horse-trading -- but the breakthrough moment remains elusive.
Diplomats insist they remain keen to conclude an agreement, but the various alliances still seem far apart.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly warned nations that "everyone will have to give something, or no one will get anything."
- 'Critical for humanity' -
European countries -- who led calls for a pandemic treaty -- want more money invested in pandemic prevention, while African nations want the knowledge and financing to make that work, plus proper access to pandemic "counter-measures" like vaccines and treatments.
The United States wants to ensure all countries share data and samples from emerging outbreaks quickly and transparently, while developing countries are holding out firm for guaranteed equity to stop them getting left behind.
According to the roadmap, a finalised accord on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response would be adopted at the May 27 to June 1 World Health Assembly of the WHO's 194 member states.
But there is a sense in diplomatic circles that developing nations are growing weary of Western obduracy and extra negotiations in April may be needed to cross the line.
"We all know there remain critical areas where you are yet to reach consensus," Tedros told the final negotiations round.
"You agree on what you are trying to achieve... now you need to agree on how to achieve these objectives.
"It’s mission-critical for humanity that you do," he warned.
"We cannot allow the cycle of panic and neglect to repeat."
- No time to 'chicken out' -
The main topics still in play include access to emerging pathogens, better prevention and monitoring of disease outbreaks, reliable financing and transferring technology to poorer countries.
The talks are being conducted by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body co-chaired by Roland Driece of the Netherlands and South Africa's Precious Matsoso.
Opening the final talks round, Driece said many countries now thought reaching agreement would be "difficult", and the draft was "not really what we like".
"You all said it", but "that's how it works... It's time to find compromises," he explained.
Matsoso put it succinctly: "You can't chicken out now."
Success or failure in the next pandemic may heavily depend on the pharmaceutical industry coming up with the necessary vaccines, tests and treatments -- and crucially, how they are then distributed.
Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations industry body, said any accord would be "meaningless" if companies were being strongarmed.
"It only works if it's voluntary and based on mutually-agreed terms," he told AFP.
The IFPMA chief said there had been unprecedented voluntary tech transfer during Covid, and "if this is created the wrong way, I'm afraid that this would put big barriers and disincentives next time round".
- 'Lowest common denominator' -
Non-governmental organisations have major concerns over the way the agreement text is heading.
K.M. Gopakumar, senior researcher with the Third World Network, surmised that in return for binding commitments on sharing pathogens, developing countries wanted equally-binding proposals "to share the benefits emerging out of these pathogens: vaccines, diagnostics".
He said there had been "systematic sidelining of equity-related provisions in the pandemic instrument".
He said phrases like "parties shall promote" mean that "nothing is concrete".
Rachael Crockett from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative said there was a risk of a rushed deal that "could leave us with the lowest common denominator".
Ultimately, senior WHO figures have been trying to remind countries why nations wanted a treaty in the first place.
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the accord would be a promise to future generations.
"The outcome really matters," he said Thursday.
"This isn't some dusty old document that will sit on a shelf somewhere. This treaty will save lives."
O.M.Souza--AMWN