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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
Geneva Telegram - April 2026

PABS-Annex zum WHO-Pandemieabkommen: 6. Sitzung der zwischenstaatlichen Arbeitsgruppe im März 2026

From 23 to 28 March 2026, the IGWG convened in Geneva for its sixth formal meeting. Yet, no agreement was reached wherefore it will resume from 27 April to 1 May 2026.

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WTO Seefront 1
Geneva Telegram - April 2026

Unpacking the Outcomes of the WTO 14th Ministerial Conference

The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held between the 26 and the 30 of March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
Geneva Telegram - March 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Fifth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group in Februar...

With a view to the 79th World Health Assembly in May, differing views on the further development of the PABS Annex continued to emerge during the fifth round of negotiations.

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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
Geneva Telegram - February 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group

Following the formal suspension of the fourth round of negotiations in December 2025, WHO Member States resumed deliberations on the PABS Annex under heightened time constraints.

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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
Geneva Telegram - January 2026

3. and 4. meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the PABS Annex of the Pandemic Agreement

Despite a shared sense of responsibility in the context of geopolitical tensions, differences remained over the exchange of pathogen data in return for fair access to pandemic produ...

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Flags of the WHO and UN waving in the wind outside Copenhagen headquarters. Depositphotos, Imago
When All Concerns Are Trumped

The Impact of US Policy on Global Health

US withdrawal jeopardises global health programmes and research – WHO faces billion-dollar shortfall and restructuring.

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Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
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Neue Folge des Podcasts Multipod

Multipod: WHO macht Fortschritte bei internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften

Die Covid-Pandemie hat auch auf internationaler Ebene Folgen. Erfahren Sie, wie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) und ihre Mitgliedstaaten sich besser für die Zukunft wappnen.

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Neue Folge des Podcasts Multipod

Multipod: Wie können Frauenrechte im Gesundheitssektor gestärkt werden?

Erfahren Sie mehr über die Herausforderungen von Frauen, Ihr Recht auf Gesundheit einzufordern.

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Statement

Norbert Lammert on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"Human rights are not laws of nature. [...], they must be protected & defended by people who take the claim to the inviolability of human dignity seriously".

Multipod: Review of Germany in the UPR

Multipod: Human rights protection starts at home. Germany in the UPR

On 9th November 2023, the United Nation's Human Rights Council discussed the human rights situation in Germany

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Genfreise

Geneva Security Debate zum Krieg in der Ukraine

Prof. Dr. Lammert, Botschafter Dr. Heusgen und Botschafter Greminger zu den Auswirkungen des Krieges in der Ukraine auf den Multilateralismus und die Weltordnung

Delegationsreise

Dialogprogramm des Arbeitskreises Globale Gesundheit der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Genf

Erfahren Sie mehr über die Delegationsreise zu aktuellen Herausforderungen im Bereich Globale Gesundheit vom 7-9. Juni

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Map of the Month

The KAS Map of the Month

Publications

MC14 outcome: Signatories of the WTO Plurilateral Agreement on E-Commerce with Interim Arrangements

Map of the Month 04/2026

The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, between March 26 and 29. 66 WTO members (with the European Union as the 67th), covering around 70% of the world trade, announced that they adopted a plurilateral E-Commerce agreement on an interim basis. The participating countries commit to a permanent ban on customs duties on electronic transmissions to foster an open environment for digital trade. This will not entirely replace the E-Commerce moratorium, which expired on March 31 and was not extended at MC14. The negotiations on the moratorium will resume at the next WTO General Council, scheduled for May 2026. Credit for this agreement lies with three co-convenors: Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Through coordination, medium-sized countries can help shape the future of trade among themselves. The E-Commerce agreement will enter into force for members who adopt it 30 days after at least 45 members have deposited their instruments of acceptance. In parallel, these members will continue to work towards the agreement’s incorporation into the WTO legal framework of rules, and will engage and encourage all WTO Members to join the E-Commerce agreement.

Nicoline Lavanchy
April 27, 2026
Map of the Month

Vote on the UN General Assembly resolution concerning the UN80 Initiative (workstream 2 on UN mandates)

Map of the Month 04/2026

On 31 March 2026, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted on a resolution in the context of the UN80 reform Initiative. Launched in March 2025, the initiative aims at improving the UN’s efficiency and impact, thereby reaffirming the value of multilateralism at a time when it is under enormous strain. The UN 80 Initiative consists of three workstreams. The first focuses on improving internal efficiency in the UN Secretariat which has resulted in deep budget cuts and a staff reduction of nearly 19 per cent over the past year. The second deals with the review of around 40,000 mandates that Member States have created since 1946 in search of duplication, overlap or redundancies. The third one discusses more than 80 proposals for structural reform of the UN architecture at large. The resolution that was adopted on 31 March is the main outcome document of workstream 2 on mandate review. It lays out principles for a more structured approach across the lifecycle of UN mandates, from their creation, over their implementation to their review. It further asks the Secretary General to establish digital tools that would assist Member States in doing so and creates a formal Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review. A large majority of 168 states voted in favour, only 4 against (Belarus, Honduras, North Korea and Russia) with 21 abstaining after Russia had called for a vote.

Sarah Ultes
April 27, 2026
Map of the Month

Key results of the 61st UN Human Rights Council

Map of the Month 04/2026

During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, which convened in Geneva from 23 February to 31 March 2026, a total of 38 texts were adopted, 28 of them (81%) by consensus. 25 resolutions were thematic in nature and 12 were country-specific. A key focus of the spring session was the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. On 28 February, at the request of Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan, the Council held an urgent debate, during which it unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Iran, amongst other things, to “immediately and unconditionally cease all unprovoked attacks, threats and provocations” against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Iran, together with China and Cuba, also requested an urgent debate, which was held on 27 March and addressed the airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ School in Minab (Iran) as a "grave breach of international humanitarian law and international human rights.” Among the country-specific resolutions put to the vote were, among others, the mandate extensions for Ukraine, South Sudan and Belarus, which are illustrated in the maps of the month. A new initiative at the 61st session was a resolution adopted by consensus on the human rights of homeless people, calling on states to take all necessary measures to abolish laws criminalising homelessness and to implement and strengthen nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. Numerous resolutions once again referred to the United Nations’ liquidity crisis. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the UN Human Rights Council, 81 states also delivered in a joint statement in which they praised the Council as a key pillar of the multilateral system and pledged to renew their commitment to preserve, strengthen and support the Council, among other things by renewing their determination to stand firmly for adequate and predictable funding for the entire human rights pillar, including the treaty bodies.         

Sarah Ultes
April 7, 2026
Map of the Month

E-Commerce draft decisions ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference

Map of the Month 03/2026

The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held 26–29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon.​ In 2024, members agreed to extend the ‘practice of not imposing’ customs duties on electronic transmissions until MC14 or 31 March 2026 (whichever comes first), when it will expire.​ The so-called E-Commerce Moratorium has existed since 1998, but renewals have become increasingly contested.​ Given the importance of digital trade, most members want greater predictability in the digital economy.​ Based on draft Ministerial Declarations and submissions to the WTO General Council: 19 members support making the moratorium permanent; 139 support at least extending it until the next Ministerial Conference.

Cedric Amon
March 24, 2026
Map of the Month

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Geneva Telegram - April 2026

PABS-Annex zum WHO-Pandemieabkommen: 6. Sitzung der zwischenstaatlichen Arbeitsgruppe im März 2026

From 23 to 28 March 2026, the IGWG convened in Geneva for its sixth formal meeting. Yet, no agreement was reached wherefore it will resume from 27 April to 1 May 2026.

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