WHO Member States today ended their latest round of intensive negotiations on the world’s first Pathogen Access andBenefit Sharing (PABS) system. Countries decided to resume deliberations in January in a reflection of the shared commitment and urgency needed to help make the world safer from future pandemics.

Countries convened for the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement in Geneva from 1–5 December 2025. They requested to extend the current fourth round of negotiations, agreeing to resume from 20–22 January 2026.

The World Health Assembly established the IGWG to undertake several tasks, including, as a priority, to draft and negotiate the PABS annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Member States requested the establishment of a PABS platform to operate as a global system to share pathogens and their genetic information, along with the benefits that arise from their use, in a timely, fair and transparent way. This would pave the way for a more effective and equitable response to the next pandemic.