Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure that (a) stakeholders and (b) the public are able to feed into (i) the UK’s position and (ii) responses to amendments submitted by other countries on the World Health Organisation’s Pandemic Preparedness Treaty.

From the beginning of negotiations on the pandemic instrument, the UK has engaged with academics, civil society organisations, trade associations and other non-state actors to aid policy development in specific areas. Additionally, the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) and the World Health Organisation have encouraged and facilitated non-state actor participation, informal consultations and formal public hearings, and have considered formal written submissions. Non-state actors, as nominated by Member States, can contribute to open INB sessions on the instrument. The UK will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the negotiating process.