At 4 a.m. CET on April 16, 2025, in Geneva, after years of negotiation and a final day of intense deliberation, the World Health Organization’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body reached consensus on a Draft Pandemic Agreement. This historic agreement lays the groundwork for how the world will prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. More than just a document, the agreement represents a global commitment to multilateralism and collaboration across borders and disciplines. It acknowledges a long-standing elemental truth: that human health is interdependent and deeply intertwined with the health of animals and our shared environment. Building on decades of global health engagement — from the pioneering 2004 Manhattan Principles to the 2019 Berlin Principles on One Health, and our influential international policy work through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) — we have had the privilege, over the past three years, to represent the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in the pandemic agreement negotiations. From the earliest drafts, when One Health was unfamiliar to many delegates and prevention was little more than an afterthought, we have consistently championed a transformative vision that commits to actions to prevent pandemics at the source — those interfaces in nature where viral pathogens first make outside contact. We’ve championed a holistic One Health approach rather than merely responding once it’s too late. Today, that vision is embedded in a legally binding agreement. Pandemic detection and prevention team at work. Image…This article was originally published on Mongabay