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The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted an international treaty Tuesday that sets standards and proper procedure for pandemics, notably approving a draft that does not include censorship provisions for misinformation or disinformation.
Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International stated in a news release that the WHO Pandemic Agreement “is a binding instrument of international law created to set a global standard for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.” ADF International welcomed the censorship-free final draft, a version for which its legal advocates had been arguing for years.
Earlier drafts included measures to crack down on “infodemics” — too much information — and misinformation and disinformation. ADF International objected to the censorship, stating that the definitions of potentially banned material were too vague and gave the agreement the ability to violate freedom of expression.
ADF International had argued that the provisions “misrepresented the human right to freedom of expression as a threat to public health,” according to the release.
“The final version excludes such provisions, instead recognizing the importance of trust and transparency in pandemic communication,” ADF International stated.
Giorgio Mazzoli, director of UN Advocacy at ADF International, celebrated the adoption of the final version.
“We welcome the Pandemic Agreement’s commitment to open communication over speech suppression as an essential requirement for any effective pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response strategy,” he stated in the release. “As adopted, this new treaty does not undermine the protections for free speech firmly enshrined in international law.”
According to the release, the agreement will be opened for signature once an annex on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System — which will dictate how pathogen data can be shared and distributed — is negotiated and adopted.
