Diritto internazionale e salute pubblica: l’Organizzazione mondiale della sanità alla prova della pandemia di Covid-19

This paper aims at analyzing the COVID-19 pandemic emergency from the perspective of international public health law. After a brief introduction to the field, it addresses the relevant regulatory framework in order to understand the obligations binding upon States as well as the role played by the World Health Organization (WHO) in handling the crisis. Then, the article assesses the effectiveness of the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), which constitutes the main regulatory source in this matter, on the basis of the action taken by the WHO and the degree of compliance shown by States in the period between January and June 2020. Against this backdrop, the discussion outlines the fundamental architecture of the collective surveillance system and examines the most relevant acts adopted by the WHO so far. In this regard, some shortcomings have emerged in practice. Lastly, the paper analyzes the relevant means of dispute settlement and their deficiencies.