How the world's most complex multilateral negotiation reveals the strategies that separate deal-makers from deal-breakers
When 194 countries sit down to negotiate anything, you know it's going to be complicated. But when those same countries are trying to prevent the next global pandemic while still recovering from the last one? That's when negotiation moves from challenging to nearly impossible.
Yet that's exactly what happened this month when WHO Member States finalized their draft pandemic agreement after more than three years of intensive negotiations. The result isn't just a historic public health achievement—it's a masterclass in how to navigate the most complex negotiations imaginable.
Picture this: You're negotiating on behalf of your country's health security, economic stability, and political sovereignty. Your counterparts represent 193 other nations, each with their own cultural norms, economic priorities, and political pressures. The topic? How to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics that could kill millions and cost trillions.
Oh, and the world is watching.
This is exactly the challenge that WHO Member States faced when they established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) in December 2021. What followed was a negotiation process that would test every principle of effective deal-making.
The scale of this negotiation is staggering:
As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted, "The nations of the world made history in Geneva today... they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground."
No negotiation is inherently simple, but this one had some particular challenges.
Imagine trying to bridge the negotiation styles of American directness, Japanese consensus-building, German precision, and Brazilian relationship-focus—all in the same room. Now multiply that by 194 different cultural approaches to decision-making, authority, and agreement.
Each country brought not just their own health priorities, but their own deeply ingrained beliefs about:
While everyone agreed that pandemic preparedness was important, the details revealed fundamental tensions:
The agreement had to address everything from pathogen surveillance systems to supply chain logistics to research and development funding. Each topic required its own sub-negotiations among technical experts who then had to translate their conclusions back to political negotiators.
What did it take to get to this point?
Most business negotiations aim for closure within weeks or months. The WHO negotiators understood from the beginning that sustainable agreement required patience. They built a process designed for endurance, not speed.
This approach allowed countries to:
Rather than trying to solve everything in formal plenary sessions, negotiators created numerous informal channels:
This multi-track approach prevented any single disagreement from derailing the entire process.
One of the most elegant solutions was explicitly stating that "nothing in the draft agreement shall be interpreted as providing WHO any authority to direct, order, alter or prescribe national laws or policies." This language addressed sovereignty concerns while maintaining the framework for cooperation.
Throughout the process, negotiators had to balance competing demands:
The final agreement threads this needle by establishing frameworks for cooperation while preserving national decision-making authority.
Here are the brass tacks.
When stakes are high and relationships matter, don't rush toward closure. The WHO negotiators built a process that could withstand multiple setbacks, political changes, and evolving circumstances.
Application: In complex B2B negotiations, create milestone-based processes that allow both sides to build confidence gradually rather than demanding everything upfront.
Countries were willing to cooperate once they felt confident their autonomy wouldn't be compromised. The explicit sovereignty language removed a barrier to agreement.
Application: In corporate negotiations, clearly define decision-making authority and autonomy early. People cooperate more readily when they don't fear losing control.
The formal negotiation sessions were just one part of a complex communication network that included informal discussions, technical consultations, and regional meetings.
Application: Don't rely solely on formal meetings. Create opportunities for informal relationship-building and problem-solving between structured negotiation sessions.
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a compelling shared threat that motivated countries to find common ground despite their differences.
Application: In business negotiations, clearly articulate the consequences of not reaching agreement—for both sides. Shared risks can be as motivating as shared opportunities.
The draft agreement includes provisions for:
These aren't just policy frameworks—they're the building blocks of a system designed to prevent the next pandemic from becoming as devastating as COVID-19.
INB Co-Chair Precious Matsoso captured the essence of what made this negotiation successful: "The negotiations, at times, have been difficult and protracted. But this monumental effort has been sustained by the shared understanding that viruses do not respect borders, that no one is safe from pandemics until everyone is safe."
This shared understanding—that everyone's security depends on everyone else's security—provided the foundation for three years of patient, persistent negotiation.
The WHO pandemic agreement negotiation proves that even the most complex, high-stakes negotiations can succeed when negotiators:
As the agreement moves to the World Health Assembly for final consideration, it stands as proof that in our divided world, nations can still work together when the stakes demand it.
The question for business negotiators is: Are you bringing the same level of strategic patience and process discipline to your most important deals?
Want to master the negotiation strategies that close complex, high-stakes deals? RED BEAR's methodology has helped Fortune 500 companies achieve measurable results in their most challenging negotiations. Download our 2025 State of Negotiation Trends Report to discover what's driving change in boardrooms worldwide.