The World Health Organization, widely considered the most powerful health authority in the world, is pursuing a Pandemic Preparedness Treaty that critics say could make the organization even more powerful and jeopardize U.S. sovereignty.
The United Nations-affiliated WHO says the draft treaty – or “zero draft” – is designed to protect the world from future pandemics and last December announced that member states “agreed to develop the first draft of such as a legally binding agreement.”
However, the group says the agreement also “respects sovereignty.”
Among the critics’ concerns is the treaty, if agreed upon by member nations, would give the WHO more international influence, amid arguments the agency allowed China to conceal information about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, though the WHO, in turn, has accused China of withholding the information.
They also say a ratified treaty would give the WHO authority over pandemic-related vaccines, lockdowns, school closures and more and could lead the agency to pursue the full adaptation of a so-called Digital Health Certificates, which could put medical records for people around the world into a central database.
Such concerns took center stage last week in Washington.
Sixteen members of Congress including GOP Reps. Andy Biggs, of Arizona; Ralph Norman, of South Carolina; and Chip Roy, of Texas, joined with the Sovereignty Coalition on Capitol Hill to urge the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
