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The Government will subject a draft Pandemic Treaty to a full National Interest Test before deciding whether or not New Zealand should sign up to it, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Health Minister Simeon Brown say.
The draft Treaty will be discussed at the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly in Geneva from next week
“Decisions about how New Zealand responds to any health emergency are made in Wellington, not Geneva, and we are determined to preserve our sovereign decision-making ability,” Mr Peters says.
“While negotiations on the draft Treaty have been completed, there are a number of steps remaining – which are likely to take some years – before the New Zealand Government will take a decision on whether or not we should sign up.”
Mr Brown noted that, after three years of negotiation, the World Health Assembly next week would have the Pandemic Treaty presented to it for adoption.
“New Zealand supports the aim of strengthening global health systems and to improve pandemic preparedness and response,” Mr Brown says.
“This will also help New Zealand support our Pacific partners to better manage future pandemic responses in our region.”
Mr Peters says that it is very important to New Zealand that its sovereign decision making on health is protected.
“Any Treaty needs to confirm the sovereignty of countries to address public health matters within their borders and gives no power to the WHO or any other international body to direct, order, or change national laws or policies, or to direct countries to take specific actions, such as ban or accept travellers, impose vaccination mandates, or implement lockdowns.”
“For these reasons, any future decision on whether or not to sign and ratify the Pandemic Treaty will be informed by a full National Interest Test.”