Washington, DC — U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) led eight Members in sending a letter to Ambassador Bathsheba Nell Crocker, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, in support of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) draft Pandemic Agreement that will be considered by the WHO members this month. 

The draft Pandemic Agreement ensures the world is better prepared to respond to future health emergencies and creates a strong international framework to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the next global pandemic. The draft Pandemic Agreement ensures a coordinated global response to public health threats, enhances transparency and information sharing about emerging pathogens, and advances global health security without impacting U.S. national sovereignty. 

“In our interconnected world, and as our experience with the Covid-19 pandemic shows, infectious diseases do not respect international borders, and adopting the draft Pandemic Agreement is critical to U.S. national security. The world looks to the United States for our leadership and we must lead by example,” the Members wrote. “It is in our nation’s best interest to set international standards for strong national health security and accountability. Collaborating with our international partners on pandemic prevention and response efforts is essential to saving American lives, and we urge you to do just that when WHO members gather to consider adopting the Pandemic Agreement this month.”

You can read the full letter here. 

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