Global Health Governance: The Legal Duty of States to Cooperate in the Fight Against Pandemic Disease
Dr Constantinos Yiallourides
This report forms part of the project The Role of Good Governance and the Rule of Law in Building Public Trust in Data-Driven Responses to Public Health Emergencies, a COVID-19 Rapid Response research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (grant AH/V015214/1).
This paper outlines the contemporary legal framework of global health focusing on the legal duty of States to cooperate in the surveillance, prevention, and control of epidemic and pandemic disease. The paper examines, in particular, the role of the World Health Organization and other United Nations bodies in fostering cooperation between States in the fight against epidemics and pandemics. It also details the content and nature of States' duty to cooperate under the International Health Regulations - the primary international legal instrument governing the global response to such events.
