At the United Nations High Level Meeting (UN HLM), in New York in September 2026, India made official remarks on the Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response (PPPR). The Declaration is part of the emerging global legal regime on pandemics led by the WHO-Pandemic agreement (PA).
The PA was adopted by 124 member-states in 2025 , including India. No country voted against it, while 11 abstained, reflecting alignment across high-, middle- and low-income countries (HICs/LICs/LMICs). The negotiations hinged on how to balance national sovereignty with international cooperation and solidarity, exposing the fault lines between the Global North and the Global South. Key issues included whether a global treaty can set binding targets for measures such as ‘One Health’ without securing funding for countries with fragile health systems. Or whether national pandemic regulations can be harmonised through global frameworks. And whether private manufacturers can be required to share vaccines in real time at affordable prices.
As a contrast, the United States rejected the Declaration, calling the PABS and WHO’s role in declaring pandemics as a challenge to its national interests. India is already actively engaged in the PABS negotiations and must lead the Global South in the post-PABS context. India can consider three options. First, developing partnerships on technical areas of the PA (One Health, surveillance, health workforce strengthening) to build trust with other countries in the Global South, and a ‘store’ of operational solutions to tricky national sovereignty problems. Second, leveraging its leadership role within existing global political groupings.
For example, the H20 summit (a health and development G-7 and G-20 partnership) will take place under the United Kingdom’s G-20 leadership at the end of 2027; pandemic preparedness is one of the core health agendas. During India’s G-20 presidency in 2023, India launched the Global Initiative for Digital Health and holds considerable influence within the platform’s health initiatives. Another is ‘Partners for Multilateralism’, which was launched in 2026 by the European Union (co-sponsors are Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, India and Kenya).
The second is a respect for national sovereignty and the primacy of member-states in shaping global policy interventions according to national circumstance. But as India said at the UN HLM, ‘Global Solidarity must be demonstrated through action’; India must be an active player in the finalisation of the global PPPR regime.
