Will Pandemic Treaty Threaten US Sovereignty + Constitution?!

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Will the WHO Pandemic Treaty threaten US sovereignty and its constitutional rights?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : WHO Pandemic Treaty Will Threaten US Sovereignty!

People are sharing posts that claim or suggest that the WHO Pandemic Treaty will threaten US sovereignty and its constitutional rights!

Vigilant News / The Vigilant Fox :

US Senators Drop a Bombshell on the World Health Organization

The tide is turning.

In a shocking turn of events, all Republican senators (49), led by Senator Ron Johnson, have formally urged President Joe Biden to withdraw his support in expanding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) pandemic authority.

The letter, sent ahead of the 77th World Health Assembly scheduled from May 27 to June 1, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, argues that the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis underscores the need for major reforms rather than granting it more power.

The senators warn that such an expansion could threaten U.S. sovereignty and constitutional rights, emphasizing that any international agreement enhancing WHO’s authority should be treated as a treaty, requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote in the Senate for approval.

“THIS IS BIG NEWS!!!” wrote Dr. Meryl Nass on 𝕏.

“49 Senators (every Republican Senator) have told President Biden to withdraw US support for the Treaty and IHR amendments–but if the US does go forward, the treaty(s) will have to be submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent, requiring a 2/3 vote (which is an appropriate threat).”

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These claims are based on a letter that Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Rick Scott sent to the Biden Administration:

Dear Mr. President:

Next month, during the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA), your administration is expected to commit the United States to two international agreements that would strengthen the World Health Organization’s (WHO) authority to declare public health emergencies of international concern and expand the WHO’s authority over member states during such emergencies. This is unacceptable.

The WHO’s failure during the COVID-19 pandemic was as total as it was predictable and did lasting harm to our country. The United States cannot afford to ignore this latest WHO inability to perform its most basic function and must insist on comprehensive WHO reforms before even considering amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) or any new pandemic-related treaty that would increase WHO authority. We are deeply concerned that your administration continues to support these initiatives and strongly urge you to change course.

Article 55 of the IHR requires the text of any IHR amendment to be communicated to member states at least four months before the WHA at which they are to be considered. As the WHO has still not provided final amendments text to member states, we submit that IHR amendments may not be considered at next month’s WHA. Some of the over 300 proposals for amendments made by member states would substantially increase the WHO’s health emergency powers and constitute intolerable infringements upon U.S. sovereignty. As such, it was essential that the WHO abide by the four-month notice period to allow member states time to ensure that no traces of such proposals were included in a final amendment package for consideration by the WHA. Having failed to do so, amendments are not in order.

The WHO’s most recent publicly available draft of its new pandemic response treaty is dead on arrival. Instead of addressing the WHO’s well-documented shortcomings, the treaty focuses on mandated resource and technology transfers, shredding intellectual property rights, infringing free speech, and supercharging the WHO. Moving forward with a new pandemic preparedness and response treaty ignores the fact that we are still unsure of COVID-19’s origins because Beijing continues to block a legitimate independent investigation. We strongly urge you not to join any pandemic related treaty, covenant, or agreement being considered at the Seventy-seventh WHA. Should you ignore this advice, we state in the strongest possible terms that we consider any such agreement to be a treaty requiring the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate under Article II Section 2 of the Constitution.

In light of the high stakes for our country and our constitutional duty, we call upon you to (1) withdraw your administration’s support for the current IHR amendments and pandemic treaty negotiations, (2) shift your administration’s focus to comprehensive WHO reforms that address its persistent failures without expanding its authority, and (3) should you ignore these calls, submit any pandemic related agreement to the Senate for its advice and consent.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson, United States Senator
Rick Scott, United States Senator

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Truth : WHO Pandemic Treaty Will Not Threaten US Sovereignty!

This is yet another example of fake news about the WHO Pandemic Treaty, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WHO Member States Want To Better Prepare For Future Pandemics

This claim is based on WHO member state discussions, which started in 2022, to amend existing International Health Regulations to strengthen the world’s preparedness against future global pandemics.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) were first adopted by member states in 1969, empowering the WHO to monitor global diseases. Those regulations have since been revised over the years, including in 2005 – after the SARS outbreak.

On 1 December 2021, world leaders agreed to kickstart the process to draft and negotiate an agreement or convention to “strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response“.

Fact #2 : Recommendations Came From WHO Member States

The proposed recommendations came from WHO member states, and not WHO itself. Among the more than 200 recommendations on how to better prepare for the next pandemic were:

sharing of data and genomic sequences on emerging viruses
a plan for equitable vaccine distribution
a ban on wildlife markets
incentives for reporting new viruses or variants

Fact #3 : Biden Administration Does Not Want A Binding Agreement

The European Union proposed that the changes be adopted in the form of a new treaty, a measure backed by Britain, Indonesia and Kenya, among other countries.

Despite what people are claiming on social media, the United States has opposed a binding treaty. India and Brazil are similarly reluctant about adopting a treaty.

The EU proposed the treaty and is its biggest backer, with support from Britain, Indonesia, Kenya and others.

The United States will take part in the talks but has opposed a binding treaty. India and Brazil have also voiced reservations.

Yet, all GOP senators are apparently insisting that the WHO Pandemic Treaty should be a binding treaty??? Do they want to maintain US sovereignty, or hand it over to the WHO???

Fact #4 : WHO Pandemic Treaty Is Unlikely To Be Binding

The zero draft of the proposed WHO agreement on preparing for future pandemics was released on 1 February 2023, and was the focus of the article by The Epoch Times.

If you download and read the zero draft, you will realise that the WHO is still calling it a “convention, agreement, or other international instruments“, clearly showing that member countries have not decided whether they want it to be binding or otherwise.

In the third point noted on the very first page of the draft, it was even pointed out that this is just a draft that is being used for “commencing negotiations“, and that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed“.

The INB (Intergovernmental Negotiating Body) further agreed that the zero draft would be considered at its fourth meeting as a basis for commencing negotiations at that meeting, it being understood that the zero draft will be without prejudice to the position of any delegation and following the principle that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.

So it is ludicrous for anyone who read the first page of the zero draft to claim that the Biden Administration is planning to sign away US sovereignty to the WHO. Moreover, the Biden Administration does not want a binding agreement, while the GOP senators appear to be demanding for one!

More to the point – if the Biden Administration holds firm, the Pandemic Treaty will not be binding, as every country has to agree to these changes, or nothing changes.

Fact #5 : WHO Pandemic Treaty Does Not Affect Sovereignty!

If you download and read the zero draft, or any of the Pandemic Treaty’s draft agreements, you will realise that WHO Member States will continue to have the right to “determine and manage” their own healthcare initiatives, including how to tackle future pandemics!

In fact, the issue of sovereignty was addressed at least three times in the latest April 2024 draft:

… reaffirming the principle of sovereignty of States in addressing public health matters,

Recalling the sovereign right of States over their biological resources…

… the sovereign right of States to adopt, legislate and implement legislation, within their jurisdiction, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the WHO Constitution and the principles of international law, and their sovereign rights over their biological resources;

Only those who did not read any of the draft agreements will remain unaware that the WHO Pandemic Treaty would not affect any country’s sovereignty!

Fact #6 : WHO DG Dismissed Sovereignty Claim In May 2022

On May 17, 2022, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus dismissed the claim that countries signing up for this new agreement would be giving up their sovereignty.

The accord process is led by Member States with their own Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (called INB), representing all regions of the world. The INB has now started a two-year process that includes global public hearings with all stakeholders. This represents the world’s opportunity to plan together, detect pathogens quicker, share data broadly and collectively respond more effectively to the next diseases X or known pathogens.

Unfortunately, there has been a small minority of groups making misleading statements and purposefully distorting facts.

I want to be crystal clear. WHO’s agenda is public, open and transparent. WHO stands strongly for individual rights. We passionately support everyone’s right to health and we will do everything we can to ensure that that right is realized.

The first ever World Health Assembly, which took place soon after the WHO Constitution entered into force in 1948, was a watershed event in global public health. And like the proposed pandemic preparedness accord, this did not mean WHO usurped nations’ sovereignty; in fact it strengthened countries’ ability to fight diseases together.

WHO is an expression of Member States’ own sovereignty and WHO is entirely what the sovereign 194 Member States want WHO to be.

Every year, these sovereign governments come together at the World Health Assembly to set the health agenda for the world. Individually we can’t beat pandemics; our best chance is together.

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Will Pandemic Treaty Threaten US Sovereignty + Constitution?!

Claim : WHO Pandemic Treaty Will Threaten US Sovereignty!

Truth : WHO Pandemic Treaty Will Not Threaten US Sovereignty!

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Claim : WHO Pandemic Treaty Will Threaten US Sovereignty!

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