[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14669-14670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04080]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Stakeholder Listening Session on Public Health Emergencies 
Preparedness and Response Negotiations

AGENCY: Office of Global Affairs, Department of Health and Human 
Services.

ACTION: Notice of public listening session; request for comments.

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DATES: The listening session will be held Thursday, April 11, 2024, 
from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. This session is 
open to the public but requires RSVP to [email protected] by Friday, 
April 5, 2024. See RSVP section in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
details.

ADDRESSES: The session will be held virtually, with online and dial-in 
information shared with registered participants.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Purpose: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
with support from relevant health-related U.S. Government offices, is 
charged with leading U.S. participation in the Working Group on the 
Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (WGIHR) and 
with co-leading the U.S. delegation to the Intergovernmental 
Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or 
other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and 
response (INB). HHS will convene an informal Stakeholder Listening 
Session.
    The Stakeholder Listening Session is designed to seek input from 
stakeholders and subject matter experts to help inform U.S. Government 
engagement with the WGIHR and INB.
    Background, WGIHR: The World Health Assembly originally adopted the 
International Health Regulations (IHR) in 1969. The regulations were 
amended multiple times, most recently in 2005. The purpose of IHR is to 
prevent, protect against, control, and provide public health response 
to the international spread of disease.
    Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) agreed in 2022 
to embark on a process to amend the current IHR. The process builds on 
lessons learned from the various review panels that examined the 
functioning of the IHR and the global health security architecture 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Working Group on the Amendments to 
the IHR (WGIHR) is considering more than 300 proposed amendments to 33 
of the 66 articles of the IHR and 5 of its 9 annexes, plus 6 new 
articles and 2 new annexes. More information on the WGIHR can be found 
here: https://www.who.int/teams/ihr/working-group-on-amendments-to-the-international-health-regulations-%282005%29.
    The WGIHR currently intends to submit its outcome to the Seventy-
seventh World Health Assembly in May 2024.
    Background, INB: In December 2021, WHO Member States decided at a 
Special Session of the World Health Assembly to establish an 
intergovernmental negotiating body (INB), representing all regions of 
the world, to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement, or other 
international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and 
response. More information about the INB process can be found here: 
https://inb.who.int/home/inb-process.
    The INB currently intends to submit its outcome to the Seventy-
seventh World Health Assembly in May 2024.
    The United States has expressed support for the development of an 
international instrument to protect the world from pandemic health 
threats now and in the future, and in a more rapid and equitable 
manner.
    The United States is seeking the following key outcomes in the 
negotiations:
     Enhance the capacity of countries around the world to 
prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemic emergencies and provide 
clear, credible, consistent information to their citizens.
     Ensure that all countries share data and laboratory 
samples from emerging outbreaks quickly, safely, and transparently to 
facilitate response efforts and inform public health decision making 
regarding effective disease control measures, including the rapid 
creation of safe and effective vaccines, diagnostic tests, and 
treatments.
     Support more equitable and timely access to, and delivery 
of, vaccines, diagnostic tests, treatments, and other mitigation 
measures to quickly contain outbreaks, reduce illness and death, and 
minimize impacts on the economic and national security of people around 
the world.
    Matters to be Discussed: The listening session will discuss the 
outcome products of the WGIHR and INB to be submitted to the Seventy-
seventh World Health Assembly in May. Topics will include those 
amendments currently under consideration by the WGIHR; areas of 
consideration included in the Pandemic Accord; and key proposals that 
highlight the intersection between the IHR and the Pandemic Accord. An 
Article-by-Article Compilation of Proposed Amendments to the 
International Health Regulations (2005) can be found here: https://apps.who.int/gb/wgihr/pdf_files/wgihr1/WGIHR_Compilation-en.pdf. More 
information on the Pandemic Accord can be found here: https://apps.who.int/gb/inb/index.html.
    Participation is welcome from stakeholder communities, including:

 Public health and advocacy groups
 State, local, and Tribal groups
 Private industry
 Minority health organizations
 Academic and scientific organizations, etc.

    RSVP: Persons seeking to participate in the listening session must 
register by Friday, April 5, 2024.
    Registrants must include their full name, email address, and 
organization, if any, and indicate whether they are registering as a 
listen-only attendee or as a speaker participant to [email protected].

[[Page 14670]]

    Requests to participate as a speaker must include all of the 
following information:
    1. The name and email address of the person desiring to participate
    2. The organization(s) that person represents, if any
    3. The document(s) and primary article(s) of interest, listed in 
order of the speaker's priorities
    Other Information: Written comments should be emailed to 
[email protected] with the subject line ``Written Comment Re: 
Stakeholder Listening Session on public health emergencies preparedness 
and response negotiations'' by Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
    We look forward to your comments on these matters.

    Dated: February 22, 2024.
Susan Kim,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-04080 Filed 2-27-24; 8:45 am]
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