Forum shifting in global health security.

Area of Science:

• Global Health Security
• International Relations
• Global Governance

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in global health governance and cooperation.
• A shift towards nationalist policies necessitates new global health security arrangements.
• Recent developments include IHR amendments, a pandemic convention, and a pandemic fund.

Purpose of the Study:

• Analyze power dynamics in global health security governance.
• Examine how states use regime complexes and forum shifting.
• Identify risks associated with new governance developments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized concepts of regime complexes and forum shifting from international relations theory.
• Analyzed state negotiation strategies and institutional transfers.
• Identified and evaluated key risks in the evolving global health security landscape.

Main Results:

• States strategically shift negotiations to favorable institutional locations.
• States create strategic uncertainty to avoid future accountability.
• Three major risks identified: increased complexity, WHO authority erosion, and high-income state dominance.

Conclusions:

• New global health security arrangements are complex and influenced by power dynamics.
• Forum shifting and strategic uncertainty pose challenges to effective global health security.
• The evolving landscape risks marginalizing certain states and undermining established institutions like the WHO.