Building Global Health Solidarity in a Permacrisis: Legal Impacts of a Pandemic Treaty

Covid-19 has revealed the urgent need for global solidarity in an era of interconnected crises (permacrisis). The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to improve pandemic prevention, preparedness and response through a ‘convention, agreement or another international instrument under the constitution of WHO’ (‘pandemic treaty’). This study analyses shortcomings in global health solidarity during Covid-19, investigates legal impacts of the pandemic treaty and navigates the arguments for and against a pandemic treaty. The treaty’s potential legal implications for human rights, intellectual property law, tort law, global health law, competition law and public procurement are examined, as well as some challenges to its implementation. The treaty’s success depends on overcoming differences and learning from global failure in order to prepare better for the next pandemic. The pandemic treaty must ensure equity, transparency, accountability and human rights while facilitating access to vaccines and other pandemic-related products, especially for low- and middle-income countries.