The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to convene a 2023 summit to discuss how to “better prepare” for a future pandemic.

Member states overwhelmingly approved a “high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.”

A resolution text claims the COVID-19 pandemic “has revealed serious shortcomings at the country, regional and global level” and indicates a “need to better prepare for future health emergencies.”

UN officials decried how the pandemic hampered “progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” 

 “Preventing and preparing for future health threats is therefore of utmost importance and will support efforts towards attaining universal health coverage,” reads the resolution.

“Preventing future global health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic calls for continued leadership, multilateral commitment and collaboration among Member States and with relevant United Nations entities and other relevant international organizations, to implement robust global, regional, national and local responses.”

“Underscoring that the pandemic has shown the critical importance of a whole-of-society response to fully address its direct and indirect consequences, and recognizing the leadership and centrality of the World Health Organization on global health matters within the broader United Nations response.” 

Member states agreed to hold a one-day meeting to be convened by the UN’s president and in partnership with the World Health Organization.

The UN hopes to adopt a “political declaration” to mobilize “political will” at all levels of government for future pandemic readiness. 

In May, the World Health Organization convened its 75th World Health Assembly to discuss a global pandemic treaty to give the international body more control over how nations fight pandemics. 

“We need a stronger and sustainably financed WHO at the centre of the global health security architecture,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus.

“In consultation with member states, the secretariat has prepared a proposal for a more equitable, inclusive and coherent global architecture from the various reviews of the global response to the pandemic. The international accord which member states are now negotiating will provide a vital overarching legal framework under which we make ten recommendations in three key areas.”