Beyond Sovereignty Cession: Forging a Rapid and Resolute PABS Response Mechanism for Equitable Global Pandemic Governance

ABSTRACT The Pathogen Access and Benefit‐Sharing System, proposed within the WHO Pandemic Agreement , aims to ensure equity but faces significant political and operational challenges. This article argues that existing systems and regional solutions are insufficient, often perpetuating health inequities between high‐income countries and low‐ and middle‐income countries. The core obstacle is their failure to address the fundamental issues of equity and accessibility in the allocation of medical resources. To be effective, the PABS System must establish a rapid and resolute response mechanism. This requires states to cede a limited degree of sovereignty to a central governing body. Drawing on the institutional precedent of the Chemical Weapons Convention, this body should be constituted as a subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties, employ a weighted voting formula—integrating factors such as population, public health vulnerability index, technological/production capacity, and financial contribution—to mandate the real‐time sharing of pathogens and the equitable distribution of benefits. Integrating this structure into the existing WHO framework is crucial for building a timely, equitable, and rules‐based global response system before the next pandemic arrives.