Report of the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005) during the COVID-19 response

Abstract

The Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations (2005) during the COVID-19 Response was convened by the WHO Director-General on 8 September 2020, at the request of Member States in resolution WHA73.1 (2020), in line with Article 50 of the IHR. The Committee’s mandate was to review the functioning of the IHR during the COVID-19 response, with reference to IHR provisions as appropriate, relating but not limited to: • outbreak alert, verification and risk assessment, information sharing and communication; • international coordination and collaboration, including the role of the National IHR Focal Points (NFPs); • the Emergency Committee’s working modalities, and declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, including the consideration of an intermediate level of alert; • additional health measures implemented by States Parties in relation to international travel; • the implementation and reporting of IHR core capacities, including the possible establishment. of peer review processes; and • progress made on the implementation of recommendations by previous IHR Review Committees.