We, the undersigned citizens from around the globe, demand immediate action to halt the Pandemic Agreement and reject the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

The World Health Organization (WHO), as currently structured, has failed in its responsibility to provide transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making. Its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant public health, economic, and social harm, leading to an unprecedented crisis of trust in global health governance.

A Crisis of Trust in Global Health

The WHO’s response to COVID-19 has exposed deep flaws in its leadership, decision-making, and transparency. These failures—including flawed policies and guidance, such as harmful lockdowns and inadequate scrutiny of pharmaceutical interventions, over-reliance on corporate-driven solutions, lack of independent oversight, and undue influence of private interests—have undermined confidence in its ability to lead global health initiatives.

The proposed Pandemic Agreement not only fails to address these systemic issues but cements the WHO’s authority to impose flawed pandemic policies without adequate checks and balances.

Given these critical failings, we demand the immediate suspension of the Pandemic Agreement and IHR amendments, pending a full, independent, and impartial review of the WHO’s role during the pandemic.

To restore credibility, the WHO must undergo comprehensive reform or, if reform is not possible, be replaced with a transparent and accountable body that prioritises public health, respects national autonomy, and operates free from undue corporate influence.

Our Concerns:

- 1) Loss of Trust in The WHO
The WHO has failed to protect public health with integrity and transparency, compromising its role as a trusted global health leader. Its lack of accountability, refusal to acknowledge policy failures have eroded confidence in its ability to guide future responses. Only through a fundamental reform of its structure, leadership, and processes can the WHO begin to restore credibility and trust.

- 2) Failure to Address Past Pandemic Failures
The WHO has failed to reflect on the social, economic, and public health harms caused by its COVID-19 policy recommendations, including sweeping lockdowns, mandates, and rushed pharmaceutical interventions. These harmful policies were driven by flawed decision-making processes and insufficient accountability. Before any new agreements proceed, an independent review of the WHO’s pandemic response is essential to ensure accountability, address systemic issues, and prevent the repetition of past mistakes.

- 3) Corporate Influence and Conflicts of Interest
The WHO’s growing reliance on corporate funding—particularly from pharmaceutical companies—has created significant conflicts of interest that undermine its independence. These conflicts have led to decisions prioritising corporate profits over public health, diverting resources away from the root causes of disease and toward narrow, profit-driven solutions. We demand that the WHO be restructured to eliminate undue corporate influence, ensuring global health policies serve the public interest and prioritise evidence-based decision-making

- 4) Unilateral Authority Without Independent Oversight
The WHO’s authority to unilaterally declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) without sufficient independent oversight centralises power in unelected officials. This risks undermining nations’ abilities to respond effectively to their unique circumstances, imposing one-size-fits-all policies that may cause more harm than good. Independent checks and balances are essential to ensure accountability, restore trust, and uphold democratic principles in global health governance.

- 5) Overestimation of Pandemic Threats
The WHO’s justification for the Pandemic Agreement and IHR amendments relies on the exaggerated notion that pandemics are increasingly imminent and more severe. Empirical evidence suggests that naturally occurring pandemics remain statistically rare, and COVID-19 itself was overstated in terms of risk and impact. Fear-driven messaging—such as warnings that "the next pandemic could be worse"—distorts public perception and policy priorities. Effective health governance must be grounded in accurate assessments, not exaggerated threats that erode trust and lead to unnecessary interventions.

- 6) Biosurveillance and Biosecurity Overreach
The WHO’s focus on pathogen surveillance incentivises the discovery and exaggeration of potential threats. This system, driven by economic rewards risks fuelling unnecessary global interventions based on hypothetical risks. By overemphasising pandemic preparedness, the WHO perpetuates perpetuates profit-driven incentives for over-surveillance and pharmaceutical interventions while diverting attention from more pressing public health needs.

- 7) Failure to Address Root Causes of Health Inequities
The WHO’s disproportionate focus on pandemic preparedness neglects the root causes of disease—such as malnutrition, access to clean water, and mental health—leaving populations more vulnerable to both everyday health crises and future pandemics. Strengthening global health requires a shift toward holistic, preventative care that builds resilience through healthier populations, rather than profit-driven pharmaceutical interventions.

- 8) Impact on National Sovereignty and Local Autonomy
While international cooperation is essential, the WHO’s growing authority risks undermining national sovereignty through the imposition of top-down policies that fail to reflect the unique needs of individual nations. Coercive mechanisms—such as economic incentives and diplomatic pressure—threaten the ability of nations to govern independently. Global health governance must respect national decision-making, ensuring that no international body overrides a nation’s right to act in the best interests of its people.

Ultimately, trust has been irreparably lost in the World Health Organization as a global public health body in it's current form and under it's current leadership.

Our Demands:

We, the undersigned, call upon national governments and representatives to instigate an:

1) Immediate Halt to the Pandemic Agreement and Amendments to the IHR 2005
We demand an immediate halt to the Pandemic Agreement and IHR amendments. These proposals must not proceed until a transparent, independent inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic response is conducted and comprehensive reforms to the WHO are implemented. Expanding the WHO’s powers before addressing its structural failings risks further undermining public health, trust, and accountability.

2) Independent Inquiry into the WHO’s Pandemic Response
We demand an independent inquiry into the WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. This inquiry must investigate its leadership, decision-making processes, corporate influence, and accountability for failed policies. It must also address the harms caused by lockdowns, mandates, and rushed pharmaceutical interventions. The findings should guide reforms to ensure that global health governance reflects evidence-based, equitable, and transparent practices.

3) Comprehensive Reform or Replacement of the WHOIf the WHO cannot be reformed to prioritise transparency, accountability, and independence, we call for its replacement with a new, global health body. This body must eliminate corporate conflicts of interest, focus on addressing the root causes of disease, respect individual rights and national sovereignty, and ensure equitable access to holistic, evidence-based health solutions that strengthen resilience against disease and ill health.

Join the movement

By signing this open letter, you are adding your voice to a global movement calling for a more transparent, accountable, and democratic approach to global health. This call for reform is supported by a wide coalition of independent public health experts, respected civil society groups, former WHO officials, and concerned citizens around the world.

Let’s build a healthier, freer future for all.