ms arlene williams
501 Mez Wallach Memorial, 194 Main Road Lakeside 7945
07th August 2025
To:
Honourable Members of Parliament
South Africa / All Afrikan Legislatures
RE: Urgent Parliamentary Intervention on WHO Pandemic Agreement and PABS Annex — Demand Full Disclosure and Emergency Sittings – 10 August 2025 Deadline
Dear Honourable Member
I write to you at this critical juncture to register grave concern over the ongoing process of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and its related Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex, which is being negotiated under the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) as mandated by Resolution WHA78.1 (2025).
You are no doubt aware that all WHO Member States have been called upon to submit their initial proposals for the PABS Annex by 10 August 2025. This Annex, described in Article 12 of the Agreement, has far-reaching implications for national sovereignty, access to health resources, the regulation of traditional and naturopathic medicine, and the equitable use of Afrika’s biological heritage.
This annex will have profound implications for Afrikan sovereignty, the future of traditional and naturopathic medicine, bio-surveillance, and the distribution of health-related benefits arising from pathogen sharing.
Yet this critical process is taking place:
• Without public knowledge of what our executive intends to submit,
• Without parliamentary debate, and
• Without any public participation, despite the far-reaching nature of the agreement.
We therefore urgently call on Parliament to:
1. Demand immediate public disclosure by the Executive of:
o The text proposal that the country intends to submit (or has already submitted) to the WHO by the 10 August 2025 deadline; and
o Any draft positions or negotiating instructions communicated to the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG).
2. Convene emergency parliamentary sittings before 10 August 2025 to:
Deliberate on the content and implications of the national proposal;
Consult the public and stakeholders, including traditional health practitioners and civil society;

3. Coordinate with regional and continental peers, including through the Pan-African Parliament and national legislatures, to advance a unified Afrikan position that safeguards our sovereignty, dignity, and right to self-determined public health policies.
The Time for Parliament to Act Is Now
Honourable Members, this process is moving ahead without parliamentary scrutiny, in violation of democratic norms and, in many countries, constitutional provisions that require public consultation on international agreements.
The 10 August 2025 submission deadline is imminent. Parliament must act now to avoid being presented with a fait accompli. Afrikan countries cannot afford to enter binding international obligations negotiated behind closed doors and absent the voices of our people.
I (We) therefore call upon Parliament, as the voted representatives and supposed voice of the people, to act without delay to:
1. Demand from the Executive full and immediate public disclosure of:
o What it has already submitted to the WHO (if anything), or intends to submit before 10 August 2025;
o Any draft positions or negotiating instructions communicated to the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG).
o The content, basis, and authority of any proposed text or position;
o Disclosure of the identities of the state negotiators, their expertise and criteria used to select them to represent the nation;
o Any prior consultations or instructions provided to state negotiators;
o Disclosure of the identities and expertise of the people who have been consulted or instructing the state negotiators;
2. Convene emergency parliamentary sittings or committee sessions before the 10 August deadline to:
o Consider and debate the national position;
o Hear from traditional and naturopathic health practitioners, scientists, civil society, and communities whose rights and knowledge systems are directly affected;
o Determine whether the proposed position aligns with the country’s constitutional values, sovereignty, and the will of the people.
o Adopt a resolution reflecting the will of the people on whether to support, amend, or reject the proposed position.
3. Affirm Parliament’s oversight and constitutional authority over all treaty-making and international commitments, including the WHO Pandemic Agreement and any related financial or regulatory mechanisms described in Article 18.
4. Establish a parliamentary oversight mechanism over the country’s engagement with the WHO Pandemic Agreement, including any future decisions on ratification, implementation, or amendments.
5. Take initiative in mobilising continental cooperation, through national legislatures, regional bodies, and the Pan-African Parliament, to resist any imposition of global health governance frameworks that undermine Afrika’s agency, Indigenous knowledge systems, and our right to self-determined development.
6. Coordinate with regional and