WHO 72nd Regional Committee for Europe EU Statement: Item 6 – Strengthening health emergency preparedness, response and resilience: learning the lessons and building back better (incl. discussion on INB and Ukraine)
Honourable chair,
Distinguished Director General, Regional Director
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
Our European region is struck by the current three public health emergencies of international concern (PHEICs), namely COVID-19, monkeypox and poliovirus, and many other health challenges which we are facing on a daily basis.
COVID-19 remains a major threat and concern for our region. Even though the epidemiological situation has improved, we are already in the preparation of a potential wave of infections in late autumn and winter. We thank the Regional Office for the ongoing support and call upon it to continue its crucial help to countries in this regard.
Regarding monkeypox, we are very thankful to the Regional Office for its clear communication outreach. It is important to raise awareness while preventing stigmatization.
The EU is strongly concerned about the poliovirus outbreak in our region, namely in Tajikistan and Ukraine. The fact that this virus, which had actually been eradicated in Europe, has reappeared is alarming. This is why comprehensive vaccination protection and full immunization of as many children as possible remains of utmost importance.
We are deeply concerned about the devastating effects of Russia's unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which grossly violates international law and the UN Charter and undermines international security and stability, on the public health within our region and beyond. It has a devastating impact on the Ukrainian health system and its people and it is leading to restricted or impossible access to lifesaving health services for millions of people. The alarming health consequences of Russia’s aggression also exacerbate the impact of public health emergencies in the whole region, for example by disrupting crucial vaccination programmes and enabling the spread of infections, including due to food and water shortages.
In the midst of these alarming health emergencies, the EU will remain strongly committed to drawing the right lessons from the current COVID-19 pandemic also in international health law. We remain committed to strengthening the IHR through amendments, to supporting the negotiations of a new convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response as well as to reinforcing a One Health approach.
The second meeting of the INB in July marked an important milestone, as the Member States discussed possible elements of the instrument and agreed that it should be legally binding and, contain both legally binding as well as non-legally binding elements. The INB further identified that Article 19 of the WHO Constitution is the preferred provision under which the instrument should be adopted, without prejudice to also considering the suitability of Article 21, and mindful, that the decision will be made by the World Health Assembly.
We welcome the Regional Director’s proposal to start a consultative process for drafting an updated action plan to improve public health preparedness and response in the WHO European Region. It is important that this process is inclusive and comprehensive. Only by making all stakeholders heard can we make sure to implement the lessons learnt and bring in the regional perspective.
We would also like to stress that the consultations have to be further aligned with ongoing processes to reinforce WHO and the global health architecture and specifically take into account ongoing efforts to strengthen health emergency prevention, preparedness and response in WHO and beyond, especially in the framework of the INB, the IHR, discussions around the FIF and the development of a new EU Global Health Strategy. At the same time we think it should take into account the challenges and gaps that are specific to our region.
Thank you.