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Fact check: Carney signed the new WHO pandemic agreement again without oversight by parliament! This is egregious !

Checked on May 30, 2025

1. Summary of the results

The claim about Carney signing the WHO pandemic agreement without parliamentary oversight appears to be fundamentally incorrect. The WHO Pandemic Agreement (WHOPA) was actually adopted through a collective vote at the World Health Assembly, with 124 countries voting in favor, zero objections, and 11 abstentions [1] [2]. The agreement has not yet been opened for individual country signatures - this will only happen after next year's World Health Assembly [1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

  • The agreement explicitly states that the WHO cannot direct or order specific policy actions by member states [2]
  • The agreement will require ratification by national legislative bodies before taking effect [1]
  • It will only enter into force after receiving 60 ratifications [1]
  • The United States did not participate in the final vote [2] [3]
  • The next step is drafting a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system [1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement appears to be part of a larger narrative that misrepresents the WHO's authority and the treaty process:

  • The statement plays into sovereignty concerns that have been raised about the treaty [4], despite explicit provisions in the agreement stating that WHO cannot change national laws [1]
  • The claim about lack of parliamentary oversight is particularly misleading since the agreement specifically includes provisions for legislative review [1]
  • The personalization of the issue around "Carney" appears to be a mischaracterization of the collective decision-making process that actually took place [5]

Those who benefit from spreading such misinformation might include:

  • Political actors seeking to capitalize on sovereignty concerns
  • Groups opposed to international cooperation in health matters
  • Media outlets seeking to generate controversy around international agreements
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