A/RES/79/333 GA

United Nations A/RES/79/333 General Assembly Distr.: General 8 September 2025 25-14352 (E) *2514352* Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 127 Global health and foreign policy Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 5 September 2025 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/79/L.125)] 79/333. Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response The General Assembly, Recalling, its resolution 78/3 of 5 October 2023, entitled “Political declaration of the General Assembly high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response”, in which it decided to hold a high-level meeting in 2026 on a comprehensive review of the implementation of that declaration, taking into consideration and in full coordination with the outcomes of other related processes to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Recalling also its resolutions 75/27 of 7 December 2020 on the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness and 76/257 of 29 March 2022 on elevating pandemic prevention, preparedness and response to the highest level of political leadership. Recalling its resolution 75/4 of 5 November 2020, entitled “Special session of the General Assembly in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) pandemic”, by which a special session of the General Assembly in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic at the level of Heads of State and Government was held on 3 and 4 December 2020” Taking note of resolution 77.17 of 1 June 2024, adopted by the World Health Assembly at its seventy-seventh session, entitled “Strengthening preparedness for and response to public health emergencies through targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)” and of the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement through resolution 78.1 on 20 May 2025 at the seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, Noting with concern that the COVID‑19 pandemic has revealed serious shortcomings at the national, regional and global levels in preparedness for, timely and effective prevention and detection of, and response to potential health emergencies, including in the capacity and resilience of health systems, indicating the need to better prepare for future health emergencies, A/RES/79/333 Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response 25-14352 2/4 Acknowledging that preparing for and preventing future global health emergencies calls for multisectoral and whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, continued leadership, solidarity and prioritizing the need for equity, multilateral commitment and collaboration, among Member States and with relevant United Nations entities, especially the World Health Organization, and other relevant international and regional organizations, to implement robust global, regional, national and local responses, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and States’ obligations under international human rights law, as well as the key leadership role of the World Health Organization within the broader United Nations response, Recognizing the need to strengthen pandemic prevention by sharing experience and best practices, and to raise the level of preparedness, including early warning systems, in order to have the earliest and most adequate response to any pandemic that may arise, and recognizing also the value of a One Health approach that fosters cooperation between the human health, animal health and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors, including through collaboration among the Quadripartite organizations (the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Programme), Recalling also that, in its decision SSA2(5) of 1 December 2021, the World Health Assembly acknowledges the need to address gaps in preventing, preparing for, and responding to health emergencies, including in development and distribution of, timely and equitable access to, medical countermeasures such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, as well as strengthening health systems and their resilience with a view to achieving universal health coverage. Recognizing that health is a precondition for, and an outcome and indicator of all three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – of sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and that, despite progress made, challenges in global health, including major inequities and vulnerabilities within and among countries, regions and populations, still remain and demand persistent and urgent attention; 1. Decides that the one-day high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response to be convened by the President of the General Assembly in collaboration with the World Health Organization shall be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, in September 2026 during the general debate of the Assembly at its eighty-first session, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and consists of an opening segment, a plenary segment for general discussion, two multi-stakeholder panels and a brief closing segment; 2. Also decides that the overall theme of the high-level meeting will be: “Fostering a multilateral and intergenerational approach to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics and public health emergencies, through the principles of equity and solidarity” 3. Further decides that: (a) The opening segment, to be held from 10 to 10.30 a.m., will feature statements of the President of the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, the Secretary-General, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the President of the Economic and Social Council, as well as an eminent high-level champion of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, selected, in consultation with Member States, by the President of the General Assembly and giving due consideration to gender balance and geographical representation; Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response A/RES/79/333 3/4 25-14352 (b) The plenary segment, to be held from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., will comprise statements by Member States and observers of the General Assembly, and Members of United Nations Specialized Agencies, a list of speakers will be established in accordance with established practices of the Assembly, and the time limits for these statements will be three minutes for individual delegations and five minutes for statements made on behalf of a group of States; (c) The closing segment, to be held from 5.30 to 6 p.m., will comprise summaries of the multi-stakeholder panels and concluding remarks by the President of the General Assembly; 4. Further decides that the organizational arrangements for the two multi- stakeholder panels will be as follows: (a) Two multi-stakeholder panels will be held in parallel to the plenary segment, one from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the other from 3 to 5 p.m.; (b) The multi-stakeholder panels will address the following themes: Panel 1: The world together: multilateral action for coordinated pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, including sharing of best practices and lessons learnt so far Panel 2: Equitable access through sustainability and predictability: capacities and financing for strengthened pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (c) Each of the two multi-stakeholder panels will be co-chaired by two representatives, one from a developed country and one from a developing country, to be appointed by the President of the General Assembly from among the Heads of State or Government attending the high-level meeting, in consultation with Member States, taking into account gender balance, level of development and geographical representation; (d) The President of the General Assembly may invite parliamentarians, local governments, the heads or senior representatives of relevant United Nations entities, including the World Health Organization, International Financial Institutions, development partners, civil society, the private sector, academia, medical, health and scientific associations, Indigenous Peoples, representative organizations of persons with disabilities and community organizations to serve as speakers on the panels, taking into account gender balance, level of development, geographical representation and the representation of youth and older persons; 5. Decides that the high-level meeting shall approve a concise and action oriented political declaration, agreed in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations, to be submitted by the President of the General Assembly for adoption by the Assembly; 6. Requests the President of the General Assembly, with the support of the World Health Organization and other relevant partners, to organize and preside over an interactive multi-stakeholder hearing, no later than June 2026 with the active participation of appropriate senior-level representatives of Member States and members of the United Nations specialized agencies, observers of the General Assembly, parliamentarians, representatives of local governments, relevant United Nations entities, non‑governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, invited civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, the private sector and broader communities, ensuring the participation and voices of women, children, youth, Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent and persons with disabilities, as part A/RES/79/333 Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response 25-14352 4/4 of the preparatory process for the high-level meeting, and also requests the President to prepare a summary of the hearing prior to the high-level meeting; 7. Encourages all Member States and members of the United Nations specialized agencies to participate in the high-level meeting, including the multi- stakeholder panels, at the highest possible level, preferably at the level of Heads of State and Government, and invites all observers of the General Assembly to be represented at the highest possible level; 8. Invites the United Nations system, including funds, programmes and specialized agencies, including the World Health Organization, regional commissions and relevant envoys of the Secretary-General, to participate in the high-level meeting, as appropriate, and urges them to consider initiatives in support of the preparatory process and the high-level meeting, particularly with regard to sharing evidence and good practices, challenges and lessons learned; 9. Also invites non‑governmental organizations with relevant expertise that are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council to register with the Secretariat to attend the high-level meeting and participate in the multi-stakeholder panels and the interactive multi-stakeholder hearing; 10. Requests the President of the General Assembly to draw up a list of representatives of other relevant non‑governmental organizations, civil society organizations, relevant medical organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community and the private sector who may participate in the high-level meeting, including its panel discussions, taking into account the principles of transparency and equitable geographical representation, with due regard for gender parity, to submit the proposed list to Member States for their consideration on a non‑objection basis1 and to bring the list to the attention of the Assembly for a final decision by the Assembly on participation in the high-level meeting 11. Encourages Member States and members of the United Nations specialized agencies to include in their delegations to the high-level meeting ministers from all relevant ministries, as appropriate, representatives such as parliamentarians, mayors and governors, representatives of civil society, including non‑governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent, persons with disabilities, community organizations and faith-based organizations, academic institutions and the private sector with expertise in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, philanthropic foundations, and networks working in the field of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, with due regard for gender balance and geographical representation; 12. Decides that the proceedings of the high-level meeting and the multi- stakeholder hearing shall be webcast, and encourages the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the World Health Organization to give the highest visibility to the high-level meeting, through all relevant media platforms and information and communications technologies. 95th plenary meeting 5 September 2025 _______________ 1 The list will include proposed as well as final names. The general basis of any objections, if requested by one or more States Members of the United Nations or States members of the specialized agencies, will be made known to the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the requester.

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