The World Health Organization (WHO) was established in 1948 to provide a forum for international health issues and to promote healthy living. It is an agency of the United Nations and includes 194 countries at the present time.
Recently, the WHO leadership proposed a “Pandemic Agreement” that would essentially give the organization control over how countries should combat a global epidemic. In other words, an unelected group of international bureaucrats would potentially have the ability to dictate how member countries treat their citizens’ health problems.
No surprise, Republican governors, including those in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, are extremely upset by this proposed takeover. Twenty-four governors sent a formal letter to President Biden strongly resisting any move by the WHO to undermine federal and state sovereignty. They closed the letter with the following paragraph:
“As governors, we affirm that public health policy is a matter reserved for the states, not the federal government, and certainly not international bodies like the WHO. We are committed to resisting any attempts to transfer authority to the WHO over public policy affecting our citizens or any efforts by the WHO to assert such authority over them.”
The reasoning behind the formation of the United Nations and its agencies was to establish a forum that aligned member goals and worked for world peace after World War II. The success and accomplishments of the U.N. are questionable and controversial.
The COVID pandemic was an international catastrophe that had an impact on the citizens of every country and was undoubtedly the driving force behind the WHO’s “Pandemic Agreement.” Yet, no unelected international organization should have the right to dictate the medical treatments of Americans. These governors are absolutely justified to speak up for their citizens and demand state and federal sovereignty.