Parliamentary review of WHO treaty
Petitioners ask the Prime Minister to table the WHO Pandemic Agreement and its amendments in the House of Commons before Canada signs or ratifies them and to require parliamentary review by law. The government responds that Canada has not signed the agreement and will table any treaty in Parliament before deciding on signature or ratification.
Why we would sign this petition
- Ensures MPs can study, debate and vote on the agreement before Canada becomes legally bound, strengthening parliamentary oversight over treaties affecting domestic law.
- Makes tabling and review mandatory by law, preventing the government from treating parliamentary scrutiny as discretionary policy.
- Encourages public and civil-society participation, which petitioners say produced revisions during negotiations and can improve transparency and treaty quality.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Mandatory legislative review could delay Canada’s ability to sign or ratify international health agreements, slowing timely cooperation during outbreaks.
- Creating statutory procedures may add administrative complexity or duplicate existing practices without clear benefit.
- Binding parliamentary constraints could reduce negotiating flexibility or slow commitments needed for rapid global responses in emergencies.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons On May 20, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Agreement (“Pandemic Agreement”), which, once signed and ratified, would create binding obligations on Canada; The agreement has not yet been signed or ratified by Canada because one important section is still being negotiated; The Government of Canada has indicated its intent to align domestic laws with the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHRs) and may proceed with signing the WHO Pandemic Agreement once finalized; Public engagement and civil society advocacy during agreement negotiations led to the removal and revision of certain concerning clauses, highlighting the need for transparency and citizens' involvement; The Minister of Foreign Affairs is expected to table treaties in the House of Commons for 21 sitting days, but this requirement is policy, not law, and may be waived by the government; Canada is the only G7 country where the government may ratify international treaties without a mandatory debate or vote in Parliament; and Canadians deserve full parliamentary scrutiny and debate on major international agreements affecting domestic law and sovereignty. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to table the WHO Pandemic Treaty and all amendments in the House of Commons before signature or ratification. 1. Provide Members of Parliament sufficient opportunity to study, debate, and vote on the treaty before Canada becomes legally bound; and 2. Support legislation to establish a statutory requirement for parliamentary review, debate, and advice prior to ratification of major international treaties or agreements.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Canada has not signed the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement. While the Pandemic Agreement text was adopted at the 78th World Health Assembly by WHO Member States in May 2025, Member States are continuing negotiations on a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, which will form an integral part of the Pandemic Agreement. Canada will continue to engage with internal and external partners and stakeholders to inform the development of its negotiating positions on the PABS Annex. Once the PABS Annex has been adopted by the World Health Assembly, the Pandemic Agreement will be open for signature and ratification. Canada would then determine whether to sign and ratify the Agreement consistent with its domestic treaty adoption process, assessing how the Agreement would be implemented by Canada, provinces and territories, and other stakeholders. Any treaty signed by Canada would be tabled in Parliament. Canada will always maintain sovereignty over its health care, and WHO does not have jurisdiction in the territory of Member States. The WHO’s role is advisory in nature only. Canada remains a key contributor to global efforts to enhance pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, which helps safeguard the health and well-being of Canadians. Canada was an active participant in negotiating the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) amendments, which helped ensure that its priorities and interests were reflected. These amendments help bring the rest of the world up to Canada’s standards when it comes to information sharing and transparency, and will allow for greater international coordination and collaboration in responding to events that are at risk of becoming, or have become, a pandemic. The IHR amendments were tabled on February 27, 2026 to allow the House of Commons 21 sitting days for their consideration, per the Policy on Tabling of Treaties in Parliament.