Sign in Subscribe
Cabinet officials

Bulgaria's Stance on the Pandemic Agreement: A Narrative of Caution and Sovereignty

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Bulgaria's Health Minister Silvi Kirilov participated in the high-level formats of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where the adoption of the draft Pandemic Agreement was debated. The country made a statement highlighting its sovereign right to assess its actions and expressing concerns about the incompleteness of the negotiation process. Bulgaria abstained from voting on the agreement, citing its uncertainty about the outcome of the negotiations on the annex to the draft Pandemic Agreement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bulgaria made a statement in Committee A of the World Health Assembly, expressing its concerns about the incompleteness of the negotiation process on the draft Pandemic Agreement.
  • The country abstained from voting on the agreement, citing its uncertainty about the outcome of the negotiations on the annex to the draft Pandemic Agreement.
  • Bulgaria was not the only country to abstain from voting on the agreement, with four other EU member states also choosing not to support the pact.
  • The World Health Organization's Director-General expressed confidence that the concerns of the 11 member states that abstained would be addressed in the upcoming negotiations.
  • Minister Kirilov emphasized Bulgaria's membership in the WHO Executive Board and called for a prioritization of activities, effective spending of financial resources, and strengthening international cooperation.
  • The issues of the reform and budget of the World Health Organization were also discussed in Committee A, with Bulgaria calling for the continuation of the reform process in a way that optimizes human and financial resources.

Statistics:

  • 181 member states had the right to vote on the draft Pandemic Agreement.
  • 46 countries were absent from the vote.
  • 124 countries voted in support of the project.
  • 11 countries, including Bulgaria, abstained from voting on the agreement.
  • Bulgaria was not the only EU member state to abstain from voting: Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia also chose not to support the pact.
  • The negotiations on the annex to the draft Pandemic Agreement are planned to start in mid-July 2025 and are expected to end in May 2026.

Sources:

  • "World Health Assembly: Draft Pandemic Agreement" (WHO website)
  • Press centre of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria
  • "Statement of the Minister of Health of Bulgaria" (Bulgarian Government website)
  • World Health Organization's website (https://www.who.int/about/governance/world-health-assembly/seventy-eighth)

Read more