Pandemics and International Law: The Need to Strengthen International Legal Frameworks after the Covid-19 Global Health Pandemic (preprint)

The COVID-19 virus, which was reportedly first discovered in December 2019, resulted in a global pandemic that has left no country on earth untouched. Quickly spreading to 216 countries and territories, in less than six months, the virus led to the loss of millions of lives, and counting, the infection of many more millions and the closure of national borders worldwide. Efforts to control the virus led to globe-wide national, regional, and international shutdowns. It also ground global economic activity and human movement to a virtual halt. In this symposium piece, the author, Charles Jalloh, examines whether current international law which provides the legal basis for inter-state cooperation needs to be codified or progressively developed to address the legal gaps laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. The author examines the decentralized and sectoral approach of modern international law and argues that there is a need to strengthen international legal frameworks after the COVID-19 pandemic so that the world is better prepared for the next pandemic.