What happened at the U.N. meeting on pandemic preparedness?

Leaders, health ministers and senior officials gathered at United Nations headquarters in New York on 25 September 2026 for a second high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The event was billed as a moment to rebuild international cooperation after COVID-19 and to push forward the unfinished elements of the global framework for future outbreaks.

The United States registered formal objections and said it was not in a position to support the draft text in full. At the same time, The European Union raised specific concerns about intellectual property and insisted that technology transfer remain voluntary and be carried out on mutually agreed terms. Delegations also discussed the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and how access to samples and benefits should be shared.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that sustained investment, stronger surveillance and more equitable access to tools are necessary to reduce future harms. WHO leaders warned that delays in agreeing on sharing and benefit rules would leave low-income countries behind when new outbreaks occur. Because consensus was not reached, the political declaration will be returned to the General Assembly calendar and may be put to a vote in December 2026.

Many member states expressed support for stronger cooperation, while negotiators were urged to finish the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing rules so the WHO Pandemic Agreement can move toward ratification. A clear political signal at the General Assembly would help keep momentum for concrete national action now.