Governor Lombardo Joins 23 States Opposing WHO Pandemic Treaty Proposals

Governor Joe Lombardo and 23 other governors have sent a letter to President Joe Biden opposing proposals granting the World Health Organization (WHO) unprecedented and unconstitutional powers over the United States.

The governors state that “if adopted, these agreements would seek to elevate the WHO from an advisory body to a global authority in public health. Under the proposed amendments and treaty, the WHO’s Director- General would supposedly gain unilateral power to declare a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ (PHEIC) in member nations, extending beyond pandemics to include a range of perceived emergencies.”

The governors continued, “these proposals could erode state sovereignty by granting the WHO’s Director- General the authority to dictate responses to a declared PHEIC, stripping elected representatives of their role in setting public health policies and compelling citizens to comply with WHO directives, potentially including mandates regarding medical treatments.”

“The objective of these instruments is to empower the WHO, particularly its uncontrollable Director-General, with the authority to restrict the rights of U.S. citizens, including freedoms such as speech,, privacy, travel, choice of medical care, and informed consent, thus violating our Constitution’s core principles…If adopted these agreement would seek to elevate the WHO from an advisory body to a global authority on public health. ” the letter warns.

Notably, the most recent draft of the Pandemic Treaty would strip provisions that would allow for the WHO to have immediate access to outbreak sites through rapid response and expert teams, weaken intellectual property rights, and allow the WHO to use the treaty to call for parties to combat false, misleading, misinformation, or disinformation through effective international collaboration and cooperation.

According to a report from KFF: “The Biden Administration has been actively participating in the negotiations since the International Negotiating Body (INB) was formed in 2021. Co-led by the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. representatives’ stated goals include to “enhance the capacity of countries to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemic emergencies…ensure all countries share data and laboratory samples from emerging outbreaks quickly, safely, and transparently…[and] support more equitable and timely access to, and delivery of, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatments and other mitigation measures” during health emergencies. The U.S. supports the deadline of May 2024 as the goal for voting on an agreement.”