International Response to Pandemics: Is There a Need for a New International Institution?

The author contends that the world's failure to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates a need for a dedicated international organization to treat pandemics as global security problems. This proposed institution would be a public-private enterprise featuring a Scientific Advisory Board, a 24/7 Situation Centre, and Rapid Response Assistance Teams. The author suggests using the Biological Weapons Convention as a legal framework and proposes that a coalition including the European Union, ASEAN, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia could provide the necessary leadership to establish the body.

• The author asserts that the global failure to respond effectively to the coronavirus pandemic resulted from governments viewing response measures as too costly and not a priority, and argues that pandemics should be treated as "global security problems".
• The proposed international organization should be an autonomous public-private enterprise involving governments, the scientific community, the pharmaceutical industry, NGOs, and foundations, operating with its own budget and decision-making organs.
• The author proposes a specific operational structure for the new body, including a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of virologists, a 24/7 Situation Centre (SITCEN) for global monitoring, and Rapid Response Assistance Teams (RRAT) equipped for immediate deployment to member countries.
• The author suggests that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) serves as a successful structural model and that the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), specifically Article X, could provide the necessary legal framework.
• Due to the perceived unlikelyhood of the current US administration assuming a leadership role, the author suggests a "coalition of the willing" comprising the European Union, ASEAN, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia to lead the effort, with eventual involvement from China, the Russian Federation, and the US.

APA

Üzümcü, A. (2020). International Response to Pandemics: Is There a Need for a New International Institution? The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/04/27/international-response-to-pandemics-is-there-a-need-for-a-new-international-institution/

Chicago

Üzümcü, Ahmet. International Response to Pandemics: Is There a Need for a New International Institution? The Council on Strategic Risks, 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/04/27/international-response-to-pandemics-is-there-a-need-for-a-new-international-institution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Üzümcü |first1=Ahmet |title=International Response to Pandemics: Is There a Need for a New International Institution? |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=27 April 2020 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/04/27/international-response-to-pandemics-is-there-a-need-for-a-new-international-institution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{zmc2020international, author = {Üzümcü, Ahmet}, title = {{International Response to Pandemics: Is There a Need for a New International Institution?}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2020/04/27/international-response-to-pandemics-is-there-a-need-for-a-new-international-institution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }