Preventing vaccine nationalism during a pandemic: lessons from collective security

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Vaccines must be deployed equitably; to do so saves lives,ends the pandemic, and ensures justice, notably for thoseliving in low-income countries. However, vaccinenationalism is a significant barrier to this; high-incomenations hoard more vaccines than they require, whilehundreds of millions of people in the world's poorestcountries go without.This project examines to what extent international law iscapable of correcting this injustice by compelling highincomenations to refrain from engaging in vaccinenationalism, and to act in a collaborative manner thatprioritises collective security - in this case, vaccine equity -over their own national security and self-interest. Itexamines the extent to which notions of collective security,which have been successful in other international legalregimes, such as arms control, are applicable to the presentissue.This research is significant as it articulates how collectivesecurity problems are developed and framed withininternational law. These lessons will then be applied to theissue of vaccine nationalism to determine if and howinternational law can address this in the future. Thetimeliness of this project cannot be overstated; its potentialfor impact is currently at its largest. WHO Member statesare currently negotiating the Pandemic Treaty, with vaccineequity being central to its intended aims. The findings ofthis project aim to impact these negotiations and thedevelopment of international law.