A Global Pandemic Treaty Must Address Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the defining global health threats of our time, but no international legal instrument currently offers the framework and mechanisms needed to address it. Fortunately, the actions needed to address AMR have considerable overlap with the actions needed to confront other pandemic threats.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that no single country can address global health threats alone.  As attention shifts to ensuring better preparedness for future disease outbreaks, a coordinated global strategy will be needed to address future pandemics and mitigate their human, economic, and social toll. International law represents an important tool in this preparedness effort, but existing legal mechanisms lack the coordination and enforcement measures necessary to ensure a coherent and unified pandemic response.