United Nations And World Health Organisation Pandemic Treaties And Their Effect On Human Rights

December 1 deadline looms

New Zealanders are
raising real concerns about the World Health
Organization’s (WHO) bid for global control of future
outbreaks of an infectious pathogen it considers a potential
health risk.

A group of concerned citizens is drawing
the Attorney General and the Human Rights Commissioner’s
attention to the International Health Regulation amendments
(IHRAs) that will shorten the time frame for consideration
of substantive IHRAs due for agreement at the May 2024 World
Health Assembly (WHA). The WHO Pandemic treaty is also due
to be ready for adoption at the May 2024 WHA.

Most New
Zealanders are unaware that some amendments have already
been adopted and considered fine by NZ’s Cabinet held
early September 2023 and confirmed by a caretaker Cabinet
mid October (after the election but before the new
government is confirmed).

Parts of the regulations
will automatically come into effect,1 December 2023, unless
expressly rejected by our government. The regulations allow
for tacit acceptance, or acceptance by a government staying
silent. That is, these IHRAs become binding, without
reservation, unless expressly rejected, or reserved, by a
member state.

The IHRAs that require rejection or
reservation by 1 December 2023 dramatically reduce the
timeframes for review, rejection and implementation of
future IHRAs amendments.

Why this is a concern is what
is currently proposed in amendments for adoption mid next
year is, the WHO’s recommendations will no longer be
non-binding advice or suggestions,
ones New Zealand could take or leave. The proposed
substantive IHRAs and Pandemic treaty will shift the WHO
nations to global agreements that will bind New
Zealand to decisions made by the Director General of the WHO
and unelected officials in Geneva about any risk to public
health (perceived or real).

Do WHO staff in
Geneva know what is best for citizens of Whangarei or
Otago?

The concerned citizens put their case this week
to the Human Rights Commissioner and the Attorney General,
their letters are attached.

Spokesperson for the group
Katie Ashby-Koppens said “We raise concerns in respect to
the four treaties that are at various stages of completeness
that are being negotiated under urgency, behind closed
doors, by unelected officials.”

She went on to say
that this was a problem because “The current versions of
the treaties hand the WHO the authority to order individual
countries to lockdown, implement vaccine passes, restrict
travel, require mandatory vaccination, force medical
examinations and censor scientific debate.”

The
concerned citizens have sought a response from both the
Attorney-General and the Human Rights Commissioner by 24
November 2023, given the very important issues that concern
all New
Zealanders.

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