I’ve done several interviews with New Zealand’s RealityCheck Radio.

A number of countries said they were unhappy with the final version of the IHR amendments when they had a turn to voice their nations’ opinions after the vote, on May 31 or June 1, 2024, but I had not see formal rejections subsequently, apart from that of the US.

As of March 17, 2026, the following countries have formally rejected or opted out of the 2024 amendments:

The United States: On July 18, 2025, the United States issued a formal joint statement from the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rejecting the 2024 amendments.

New Zealand: Formally communicated its rejection to the WHO Director-General on March 16, 2026. The New Zealand government stated it would adhere to the former 2005 provisions .

Slovakia: The Slovak government announced its rejection in early March 2026, noting that the 2005 regulations remain the only binding version for the country.

Iran

Italy

As of September 2025, the WHO reported that 11 out of 196 States Parties had rejected the 2024 amendments. While the full list of all 11 nations is not always publicized in a single press release, they typically include nations that have voiced consistent sovereignty concerns or are part of regional blocs that requested more time for domestic legislative review.

It is suspected that the Netherlands are among the 11. Russia should be as well, and also North Korea, who spoke against the amendments after they were passed. Probably Argentina too, and several other Russia-aligned nations.

From google Gemini: Other Nations with “Reservations” or Objections

Several other nations have not fully rejected the package but have filed formal reservations to specific articles (primarily Article 12 regarding “Pandemic Emergencies” and Article 13 regarding medical supply chain mandates). These include:

• Switzerland and the Holy See, which both voiced significant concerns regarding the legal clarity of the new “Pandemic Emergency” tier.

• South Africa, which has seen significant domestic legal pushback and FOI requests regarding the government’s lack of transparency in the IHR negotiation process.

Summary Table: Status of Rejecting Nations (March 2026)

Country Deadline Effective IHR Version to which the nation is bound

United States July 2025 Rejected. IHR 2005

ItalyJuly 2025 Rejected. IHR 2005

New Zealand March 2026 Rejected. IHR 2005

Slovakia March 2026 Rejected. IHR 2005

Netherlands March 2026 Rejected. IHR 2005

Iran March 2026 Rejected. IHR 2005

Argentina July 2025 Rejected. IHR 2005

 

IPAK-EDU is grateful to Meryl’s CHAOS letter (Critical Health Analysis and OpinionS) as this piece was originally published there and is included in this news feed with mutual agreement. Read More