Johnson says: world needs pandemic treaty to ensure transparency

[webfact]

Johnson says: world needs pandemic treaty to ensure transparency

By Alistair Smout

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty arrive for a coronavirus pandemic media briefing at Downing Street, London, Britain February 15, 2021. Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that world powers should clinch a global treaty on pandemics to ensure proper transparency after the novel coronavirus outbreak which originated in China.

 

Johnson said he would be keen to agree a global treaty on pandemics where countries agreed to share data, amid British and U.S. concern over access given to a World Health Organization (WHO) mission to China.

 

Asked by Reuters about any action he wanted to improve transparency, Johnson said: "I think what the world needs to see is a general agreement on how we track data surrounding zoonotic pandemics... and we want a joint agreement on transparency."

 

"I think one of the attractive ideas that we have seen in the last few months has been a proposal for a global treaty on pandemics, so that signatory countries make sure that they contribute all the data they have and we are able to get to the bottom of what's happened and stop it happening again," he said at a news conference.

 

"That is the sensible thing to do."

 

European Council President, Charles Michel, wrote on Twitter that he welcomed "the support of @BorisJohnson to work together on a pandemic treaty in order to improve global preparedness, resilience and recovery."

 

As part of Britain's presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations, Johnson wants to lead efforts on a global approach to pandemics, including an early warning system. But a weekend statement ahead of a call of G7 leaders on Friday did not go into detail about any treaty on transparency.

 

The COVID-19 outbreak, which was first detected in China in late 2019, has killed 2.4 million people, tipped the global economy into its worst peacetime slump since the Great Depression and upended normal life for billions of people.

 

Britain's foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday he shared U.S. concerns about the level of access given to a World Health Organization COVID-19 fact-finding mission to China, while Johnson has said he supports U.S. President Joe Biden in the need for more data from the investigation.

 

Asked by Reuters who he held responsible for any lack of transparency on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said: "I think it's fairly obvious that most of the evidence seems to point to the disease having originated in Wuhan."

 

"Therefore I think we all need to see as much as we possibly can about how that might have happened, the zoonotic questions that people are asking. I think we need as much data as possible," he said.

 

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Guy Faulconbridge and William James; Editing by Hugh Lawson, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-16

 

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[Phuketshrew]

Good luck with getting the CCP to sign up and comply with that one .....

[Surelynot]

This should be fine....if, at later date, he doesn't like what he has signed (should he even read it) he can always rip it up.

[Surelynot]

35 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

Good luck with getting the CCP to sign up and comply with that one .....

The UK will sign it...complying with it is another matter entirely.....we don't 'do' treaties!

Edited February 16, 2021 by Surelynot

[Pilotman]

The World already has that, through Membership of the WHO, it just doesn't work because of the paranoid secrecy in the Communist World and the various Dictatorships.  You will never make them act otherwise just by signing yet one more meaningless piece of paper. . 

[placeholder]

Well, the problem is that there are lots of people who believe that viruses respect borders. In the USA for example, many believe that controlling a pandemic should be left to each individual state.

[Bluespunk]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that world powers should clinch a global treaty on pandemics to ensure proper transparency

Good idea, just as long as johnson and his govt have nothing to do with negotiating it. 

[2530Ubon]

6 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

12 hours ago, webfact said:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that world powers should clinch a global treaty on pandemics to ensure proper transparency

Good idea, just as long as johnson and his govt have nothing to do with negotiating it. 

Let's hope it's not another 'oven ready' deal eh?

 

It won't matter anyway, Johnson is quite similar to the Chinese Communist Party. He doesn't keep his word either. If it suits him, he'll simply write another law to overule the parts he doesn't like.

 

With a 'man' like this at the helm, who's going to trust him?

 

 

[Pique Dard]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Johnson says: world needs pandemic treaty to ensure transparency

pandemic treaty? dear sir johnsson, are you sure to respect you comittments this time? noone has forgotten brexit yet

[unblocktheplanet]

That must be the formerly-rich seven nations.

[Rookiescot]

He might be right.

But for the love of God do not put Johnson in charge of it.

[curlylekan]

11 hours ago, placeholder said:

Well, the problem is that there are lots of people who believe that viruses respect borders. In the USA for example, many believe that controlling a pandemic should be left to each individual state.

 

The same exact thing happened in the world and happened in Europe. The USA is not so special in this regard. At least the USA tried to save the economy, while here in Europe; especially, the EU,, the economies of its states are being destroyed

Edited February 16, 2021 by curlylekan

[soalbundy]

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The World already has that, through Membership of the WHO, it just doesn't work because of the paranoid secrecy in the Communist World and the various Dictatorships.  You will never make them act otherwise just by signing yet one more meaningless piece of paper. . 

Not just communist states and dictatorships, governments in general don't like transparency........ except as a slogan.

[hotchilli]

On 2/16/2021 at 4:59 AM, webfact said:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that world powers should clinch a global treaty on pandemics to ensure proper transparency after the novel coronavirus outbreak which originated in China.

The last thing the world needs is another global treaty... nations can't agree on the colour of "you know what" !!!

[placeholder]

9 hours ago, curlylekan said:

 

The same exact thing happened in the world and happened in Europe. The USA is not so special in this regard. At least the USA tried to save the economy, while here in Europe; especially, the EU,, the economies of its states are being destroyed

Except the the US is actually one nation and has a Federal govt that has the power and the means to effect a coordinated response.