The United States government’s decision to block a major global declaration on pandemic preparedness “severely weakens” the effort, and signals intent to disrupt international cooperation, says Prof Lawrence Gostin, a leading expert on global health law from Georgetown University.
The United Nations general assembly had been due to adopt a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response on 25 September after a high-level meeting on the subject.
The document would have seen countries agree to work together in solidarity to tackle global health threats and express concerns that the world remains unready to deal with future pandemics.
However, the US delegate said it was “not in a position” to support the text, blocking its adoption by consensus – the UN process whereby negotiated documents are assumed to be agreed unless there is an objection.
Dr Erica Schwartz, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said critical issues remained unresolved, referring to “the inclusion of divisive ideologies that lack definitional consensus” and references within the document to ongoing, WHO-led negotiations over the fair sharing of vaccines and drugs between countries in any future pandemic.
It is understood that the Trump administration was unhappy with mentions of equity and universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Earlier this year, President Trump signed executive orders expanding a “global gag” rule that bans US aid recipients from work related to abortion to also include bans on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and what it called “gender ideology”.
Source: The Guardian, 28 September 2026
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