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There have been many analyses of the COVID-19 pandemic but little discussion of the governance failures, especially the need for cross-government, multisectoral engagement, and leadership by heads of state and governments at both national and global levels. Governance is already being discussed within the health context. WHO member states are engaged in two historic negotiations of international treaties: a new pandemic convention, agreement, or other instrument (WHO CA+)1 and the revision of the International Health Regulations.2 The WHO CA+ would establish a Conference of the Parties (CoP) comprising heads of government to oversee the treaty's implementation. As the treaty is likely to be adopted under Article 19 of the WHO constitution, only states that have ratified the treaty would be members of the CoP. The International Health Regulations revision under Article 21 is expected to have near universal membership. Although all countries must be included in governance to ensure worldwide coordination, only countries that have ratified a convention can be members of the CoP and oversee the treaty itself. We propose two separate committees: one committee comprising only the CoP with other countries acting as observers, and a second committee with representatives of all countries supported by a common secretariat for both committees and a common chair. Furthermore, there has to be coherence and complementarity between the new convention and the revised International Health Regulations, with compliance measures that cover both.

ervers, and a second committee with representatives of all countries supported by a common secretariat for both committees and a common chair. Furthermore, there has to be coherence and complementarity between the new convention and the revised International Health Regulations, with compliance measures that cover both. Solutions have been proposed for multisectoral global governance. The Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response proposed a Global Health Threats Council established by the UN General Assembly as a standing body including heads of state and other global leaders.3 Heads of state already dealing with enormously complex responsibilities are not likely to fully engage outside times of emergency, and the council might also overlap with the work of a heads of government CoP of the new treaty. The UN's Secretary-General has proposed an emergency platform, which would not be a standing body but a set of protocols triggered automatically by a crisis of sufficient scale and magnitude—for example a pandemic.4 The UN's Secretary-General would convene leaders from countries, the UN system, international financial institutions, and subject experts including civil society, industry, and research bodies. We strongly support this approach as the best means to bring the world together to act at the time when a global coordinated response to a pandemic is needed the most.