The WHO pandemic agreement: why countries will not use compulsory licensing – and how to fix it

The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted by the 78th World Health Assembly on 20 May 2025. Under Article 33, the Pandemic Agreement will enter into force 30 days after the sixtieth nation’s ratification. 1 The critical question now is whether the Pandemic Agreement can ensure that, when the next pandemic strikes, vaccines and other essential health technologies reach everyone, everywhere, without devastating delays.