ROK Government Announces Detailed Plan of 2022 Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meeting

Key figures from around the world will come to Seoul to attend the 2022 Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meeting. Expert forums, a disease X simulation exercise, and a ministerial meeting will help the global community better prepare for future infectious disease crises. A joint press briefing of the Global Health Security Agenda members will also provide an opportunity to share the outcomes of the Meeting.

Osong, November 24, 2022 – Four days ahead of the 7^th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Seoul, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated they have been making an all-out effort to ensure a successful event opening. At the Meeting, the members will discuss ways of strengthening the global community’s response capacity against global health security threats.

The outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Ebola virus disease raised global awareness that a health crisis could threaten national security. Amid such concern, the GHSA was launched in 2014 with the support of a group of countries, international organizations, and private organizations to expand global collaboration in preparing for and responding to future health security threats.

In 2015, the Republic of Korea (ROK) hosted the 2^nd GHSA Ministerial Meeting and shared with the members its experience on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome response and control and how the country overcame the disease. In addition, the Meeting launched 11 GHSA Action Packages that aimed to strengthen global capacities for preparing for future infectious disease threats and announced the “2015 Seoul Declaration.”

The 7^th GHSA Ministerial Meeting is the second event hosted by the ROK after the world went a long way through the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The forthcoming Meeting will serve as a venue to discuss the activities that the global community should focus its capacity on and strengthen further to better prepare for a future pandemic and help build a safer world.

In addition to the Meeting to be attended by delegations from GHSA members, nine expert forums, open to the general public, will be held from November 28 to 29.

On November 29, a disease X simulation exercise will occur based on a scenario of an emerging infectious disease spreading in a fictional country of diverse terrain and rich cultural heritage.

On November 30, the members at the Meeting will announce the “New Seoul Declaration” that clearly and officially states the future of the GHSA.

Faced with the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide and international organizations have recognized the importance of a global health security system. With that shared understanding, key figures will come to Seoul to attend the Meeting. More than 200 people from 36 countries and 10 international organizations have completed their registration for participation online.

The participants will include minister and vice minister-led delegations and international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, World Bank, World Organization for Animal Health, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, etc. In addition, ambassadors to the ROK have also confirmed their attendance.

The Meeting and the disease X simulation exercise will be in closed session, but the expert forums on nine different topics will be open to the general public.

Anyone can enter meeting rooms for the expert forums through on-site registration during the event, and no admission fees will be charged.

The Meeting to be held on November 30 will be closed to the public, but the opening ceremony will be open to Korean reporters and journalists and foreign correspondents for press coverage.

In addition, on November 30, a joint press briefing will be held at 13:00 (local time), immediately after the Meeting is finished.

The briefing will be presented by representatives of the five countries as follows: the ROK, the host country of the 7^th Ministerial Meeting; the Kingdom of Thailand, a former chair of the Steering Group; the Republic of Uganda, the host country in 2017; the Republic of Indonesia, the Secretariat; and the United States of America, a key leader since the launch of the GHSA.

The briefing will be given regarding the significant outcomes of the 7th Ministerial Meeting, including the “New Seoul Declaration,” the importance and role of the GHSA in global health security, the remarkable outcomes produced so far in the GHSA, the achievements made in the GHSA during the COVID-19 pandemic, and plans and vision.

On November 24, the KDCA, MOHW, and MOFA will hold a joint background briefing on the GHSA Ministerial Meeting at the KDCA campus at 10:00 (local time) for Korean reporters and journalists and foreign correspondents. The government agency and the two ministries will explain the main content, significance, and program schedules of the Meeting and ask for active press coverage of the event.

At the background briefing, there will be explanations about an overview of the GHSA, expert forums on nine different topics, e.g., immunization, legal preparedness, resource mobilization, and the disease X simulation exercise. There will also be a Q&A session.

The MOHW stated: “As we have learned from the pandemic, global health security today cannot be achieved without global collaboration.”

The Health Ministry stressed: “The 7^th GHSA Ministerial Meeting will provide an important opportunity to help overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen global response capacity against a future infectious disease crisis.”

The KDCA stated: “South Korea will establish a Global Health Security Coordination Office in Seoul and, thus, share its experience and capacity accumulated in overcoming the pandemic with the world. This way, the Republic of Korea will actively collaborate with countries worldwide to produce remarkable outcomes during the third phase of the GHSA that starts in 2024.”

The KDCA added: “As keen attention from relevant experts and the public is key to the success of a global health security system, we ask Korean reporters and journalists and foreign correspondents to actively cover the event with great attention.”