Children's Health Defense By
New Zealand and up to three other countries have rejected controversial amendments, proposed in 2022 by the Biden administration to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR).
Critics warned the proposed amendments, approved last year by the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA), give the WHO too much power and increase the likelihood that future proposals — including the currently pending 2023 IHR amendments and the “WHO Pandemic Agreement,” or pandemic treaty — will also pass.
WHO member states had a Dec. 1, 2023, deadline to reject the 2022 amendments. New Zealand attorney Kirstin Murfitt told The Defender “New Zealand rejected the amendment which related to the reduced timeframe of future amendments.”
“In May 2022, the WHA voted to adopt the amendment to Article 59 of the IHR (and consequently other articles), which reduces the timeframe for future amendments to come into force from 24 to 12 months. Consequently, the period to reject or reserve future amendments was reduced from 18 months to 10 months,” Murfitt said.
For states that did not reject the amendments by Dec. 1, 2023, “the amendment comes into force in May 2024 by way of ‘tacit acceptance,’” Murfitt added.
Other experts told The Defender their rejection by up to four countries may be indicative of broader obstacles the WHO faces in ongoing negotiations for both proposals.
Independent journalist James Roguski said the WHO scheduled new negotiation meetings after falling behind on its own legally binding timeline due to member states’ disagreements over “equity” — as evidenced by developments at last week’s meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR).
Recent statements by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also suggest a growing unease with the progress of negotiations and the likelihood of reaching an agreement on the proposed 2023 IHR amendments and “pandemic agreement” by this year’s WHA, scheduled for May 27-June 1.
Others, including Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), warned during a Feb. 5 press conference that the proposed instruments pose a fundamental threat to national sovereignty, including that of the U.S…
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE… (childrenshealthdefense.org)
Home | Caravan to Midnight (zutalk.com)
Be First to Comment