From Commitment to Action: Advancing Parliamentary Leadership for the WHO Pandemic Agreement Implementation and Sustainable Financing for Health
The WHA Global Parliamentary Forum, co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), is an annual platform for parliamentary engagement at the World Health Assembly (WHA). It supports dialogue, shared learning, and alignment between global health commitments and national action.
The adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 marked a major step towards strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Its entry into force will depend on the finalization of the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, currently under negotiation. Once adopted, Member States will be expected to translate global commitments into national legislation, policies and financing frameworks.
Delivering on the Agreement – and improving health outcomes more broadly – will require sustainable and predictable financing. Strengthening resilient health systems and ensuring equitable access to health services depends on effective domestic resource mobilization and investment. Parliaments play a critical role in this process through legislation, budget approval and oversight.
This Forum will bring together parliamentarians and stakeholders to exchange experiences and identify practical, actionable measures to support both the ratification and implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, as well as sustainable financing for health, including the use of health taxes.
The event is open to parliamentarians attending the WHA as part of national delegations, as well as Member State representatives, civil society and partners.
Objectives
The Forum aims to:
- strengthen parliamentary leadership in translating WHA commitments into national laws, policies and budgets;
- support future signature, ratification and implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement;
- share practical approaches to legislation, oversight and budget scrutiny for pandemic preparedness and health system resilience;
- advance sustainable health financing, including domestic resource mobilization and health taxes; and
- promote peer learning among parliamentarians on effective national approaches.