Brandenburg rejects International Health Regulations (IHR)

On Wednesday, the Brandenburg Ministry of Health and Social Affairs rejected the federal government's draft bill amending the International Health Regulations in the Federal Council's Health Committee. The BSW parliamentary group in the Brandenburg State Parliament welcomes this vote.

Andreas Kutsche, a member of the Corona Enquete Commission and a member of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance parliamentary group in the Brandenburg state parliament, said on the occasion of the vote in the Bundesrat: "The amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by the WHO pose the risk of profound interference with our fundamental democratic values. They threaten self-determination in the health sector, open the door to the profit interests of large pharmaceutical companies, and could lead to massive restrictions on the free formation of opinions."

The federal government did not object to the changes, despite the state of Brandenburg's timely raised concerns. However, for them to take effect at the national level, a federal law is required. The corresponding draft legislation was on the agenda of the Bundesrat's Health Committee on Wednesday.

Kutsche warns: "The vaguely defined term of a 'pandemic emergency' allows for arbitrary declarations of emergency. The IHR also establishes a de facto WHO monopoly on the truth by enshrining the fight against supposed 'misinformation'. Furthermore, the majority of donations to the WHO come from private foundations and representatives of pharmaceutical interests – above all the Gates Foundation and the GAVI vaccine alliance. The WHO's independence has thus long been undermined. Anyone who further empowers such structures risks the capture of health policy by economic interests," Kutsche says.

"We saw what this means during the coronavirus pandemic: from the de facto mandatory vaccination to the stigmatization of critical voices to the infamous mask deal of then-Health Minister Jens Spahn, which cost taxpayers millions. Much aid money was diverted, while today billions are missing from the nursing care funds. Those who fail to address such mistakes but instead create new powers for international authorities are endangering trust and democracy alike."

Kutsche continued: "It is therefore clear to us: We need more democratic control instead of global emergency powers for an opaque organization. Therefore, we welcome the rejection of the IHR amendments by the BSW-led Ministry of Health."

However, Brandenburg cannot prevent the IHR from coming into force. This would require the rejection of at least one larger federal state, such as North Rhine-Westphalia or Lower Saxony.