Mr. President,

I have the honour to deliver this joint statement on behalf of 46 countries of the Group of Friends of Global Governance (GFGG).

Global health governance today faces multiple challenges. The cross-border spread of infectious diseases, insufficient access to medical products, and uneven development in the health sector are increasingly intertwined. Strengthening global health governance is not a matter of choice, it is a shared responsibility for all countries in protecting people’s health and promoting sustainable development. Against this backdrop, we believe that three principles should guide our efforts.

First, we should ensure equal participation. Countries differ in national conditions, levels of development, and health systems, but they have an equal right to participate in global health governance. Relevant reforms should remain Member State-led, fully listen to the views and concerns of all parties, especially developing countries, and ensure that the benefits of global health governance are shared more equitably by people of all countries.

Second, we should strengthen multilateral cooperation. We support the World Health Organization in playing its central coordinating role in global health governance. All parties should, on the basis of mutual respect and practical consultation, expand consensus, advance positive outcome in negotiations on the PABS annex to the Pandemic Agreement, and strengthen the international community’s capacity to prevent and respond to future public health crises.

Third, we should uphold the people-centred approach. Efforts should focus on universal health coverage, accessible and affordable health products, and sharing of technologies and experience. Particular attention shall be paid to the needs of people in developing countries, and support shall be provided to help them build more resilient health systems and strengthen their own capacity for disease prevention and control. New technologies, including artificial intelligence, should also serve people’s health and empower health governance in a safe, responsible, and inclusive manner.

Mr. President,

Global health governance needs consensus, but even further, it needs action. The GFGG stands ready to work with all parties to uphold equality, openness, cooperation, and pragmatism, to build a fairer, more inclusive and effective global health governance system, and to make joint efforts to advance health and well-being of people in all countries.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Joint Statement by the following members of the Group of Friends of Global Governance in Geneva (GFGG):

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Eritrea, Gambia (Republic of The), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.