The article observes how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical weaknesses in global health architecture, particularly regarding the recurring threat of zoonotic diseases that emerge from human-animal interfaces. While world leaders have called for a new WHO Pandemic Agreement based on the “One Health” model, the articles highlights a critical gap: the current of the draft Agreement fails to include binding obligations to protect animal health and well-being. To address this void, the article calls attention to the Convention on Animal Protection (CAP), a proposed treaty designed to regulate and prohibit high-risk animal uses that facilitate viral spillovers. The article emphasizes that true pandemic prevention requires incorporating animals’ interests into international law as sentient beings rather than continuing to ignore the exploitative conditions that lead to global outbreaks.
