On 4 September 2025, the Ministry through the Department of International Organizations organized a seminar titled “Get to know the WHO Pandemic Agreement: How should Thailand move forward?” with Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, presiding over the opening of the event. The seminar was attended by over 70 people, with speakers and participants from various agencies and across multiple sectors, including Ministry of Public Health’s Office of the Permanent Secretary, Department of Disease Control and Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, National Vaccine Institute, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), World Health Organization (WHO) and Mahidol University.

The seminar was organized as a forum for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and vision on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, with the aim of raising awareness on the Agreement among relevant stakeholders and providing a networking opportunity in order to foster cooperation on preparing for the eventual implementation of the Agreement. The discussions covered various aspects, including a review of Thailand’s COVID-19 response, an overview of the Agreement text, taking stock of negotiating challenging topics, particularly the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System, a list of relevant domestic laws and regulations, and considerations on how Thailand must prepare for the Agreement’s entry into force, as well as its implications – opportunities and challenges – on Thailand’s policy and economic development.

Thailand has played an important role in the WHO Pandemic Agreement negotiations. Thailand’s health expert, Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien (a speaker at the seminar), served as a Bureau member of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which drove forward the drafting and negotiation of the text toward its conclusion and adoption at the 78th session of the World Health Assembly on 20 May 2025.