A Historic Gathering in Lyon

The World Health Organization (WHO) held its first-ever Global Forum of Collaborating Centres in Lyon, France, concluding on April 9. Representatives from over 800 WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) across more than 80 countries convened in what stands as one of the largest single assemblies in global public health history.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the CC network "an immensely valuable but under-utilized resource," emphasizing its power to translate evidence into action and demonstrate what genuine international cooperation looks like.

Growing Threats in a Fragmented World

Beyond networking, the Forum served as a platform to confront health threats intensified by geopolitical fragmentation. Scientists framed the current environment not only as a risk but as a mobilizing opportunity for stronger health solutions.

WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Sylvie Briand underlined that trusted scientific collaboration is not merely valuable in this era — "it is indispensable to protecting lives and shaping a healthier future for all."

The Forum was aligned with the One Health Summit integrating human, animal, and environmental health, and served as a flagship event for WHO's World Health Day 2026 campaign: "Together for health. Stand with science."

From 1949 to Today: 77 Years of Scientific Partnership

The CC system traces its roots to the Second World Health Assembly in 1949, which established that WHO should advance health research by coordinating existing global expertise rather than building its own institutions. Over 77 years, the network grew to encompass the world's leading public health, academic, research, and technical institutions — strengthening global norms, supporting innovation, and bridging science to life-saving action.

Yet in all those decades, the network had never gathered as one. This Forum marked that first.

Outlook [Expert Analysis]

The Forum's most consequential announcement was the creation of CORC — Collaborative Open Research Consortia — designed to unite thousands of scientists worldwide in accelerating vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for Disease X, the unknown pathogen that could spark the next pandemic.

Experts suggest this initiative has strong potential to become a real scientific infrastructure rather than a symbolic gesture, particularly as multilateral cooperation erodes in other domains. However, sustained financial commitment and political will from member states will be critical to the network's effectiveness.

For South Korea, which counts institutions such as the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency among its WHO CCs, the CORC framework could represent a strategic opportunity to expand its role in global pandemic preparedness — building on hard-won experience from the COVID-19 response.