Withdraw from WHO pandemic agreement
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to immediately and unilaterally reject the IHR amendments adopted June 1, 2024, and withdraw from the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted May 20, 2025.
Why we would sign this petition
- It restores parliamentary oversight because Parliament did not debate or vote on Canada’s adoption, ensuring democratic consent.
- It blocks transfer of legally binding emergency powers to the WHO that petitioners say could affect Canadians’ health and rights.
- It aligns with election commitments to preserve Canadian sovereignty and national decision‑making in public‑health emergencies.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Leaving WHO instruments may reduce Canada’s influence in shaping international rules and coordination during future pandemics.
- The IHR amendments and Pandemic Agreement may provide public‑health coordination and information‑sharing benefits; withdrawal could weaken preparedness.
- A unilateral rejection could be diplomatically costly or legally complex and might limit Canada’s ability to collaborate on global responses.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled Parliament has neither debated nor voted on Canada’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) International Treaty on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, also referred to as the “Pandemic Agreement”; In parallel to the Pandemic Agreement drafting process, hundreds of amendments have been proposed by 16 member states to the International Health Regulations (IHRs), which govern the conduct of countries and provide the legal framework for the WHO to exercise its powers; Canada voted in favour to adopt the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement on May 20th, 2025, after the 45th federal election was held and before the opening of the 45th Parliament, meaning no debate nor vote could be held to obtain the consent from Parliament elected by Canadians; The outcomes of these efforts will give legally binding, emergency powers to the WHO, with potential far-reaching impacts on the lives, health, and human rights of Canadians; and The prime minister and his party have repeatedly promised in the last election campaign and in their platform to keep Canada secure as a sovereign, independent nation. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to immediately unilaterally reject the amendments made to the IHR adopted on June 1, 2024, and withdraw from the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement adopted on May 20, 2025.
Government response
No government response is available yet.