By Olivia Le Poidevin
GENEVA (Reuters) - Members of the World Health Organization adopted a landmark agreement on Tuesday on how to prepare for future pandemics following the COVID-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people between the years of 2020 and 2022.
After three years of negotiations, the legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO member countries welcomed its passing with applause.
The pact is widely seen as a victory for members of the global health agency at a time when multilateral organisations like the WHO have been battered by sharp cuts in U.S. foreign funding.
"The agreement is a victory for public health, science, and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The treaty faced a late challenge on Monday when Slovakia called for a vote, as its COVID-19 vaccine-sceptic prime minister demanded that his country challenge the adoption of the agreement.
One hundred and twenty-four countries voted in favour, no countries voted against, while 11 countries, including Poland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovakia, and Iran, abstained.
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, additional reporting by Jan Lopatka editing by Rachel More)
