New Zealand Formally Rejects WHO Pandemic Treaty

The country’s government has formally written to the World Health Organisation rejecting the rules around international standards and cooperation.A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 6, 2020. Denis Balibouse/Reuters3/17/2026|Updated: 3/17/2026New Zealand has formally rejected amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), which lay out how World Health Organisation (WHO) member countries will handle future pandemics.New Zealand’s Ministry of Health described the IHR as the “principal international legal framework for preventing and controlling the spread of disease between countries.”