Governing Pathogen Genomics for Global Health Security:

This article examines pathogen genomics as a critical component of global health security and cooperative preparedness. It analyzes how molecular epidemiology supports outbreak detection, transmission analysis, antimicrobial-resistance surveillance, and evidence-informed response, while addressing governance challenges involving capacity asymmetry, data sovereignty, benefit-sharing, privacy, contested interpretations, and public trust. It article advances a diplomatic governance approach that treats genomic surveillance as cooperative risk infrastructure. It proposes a Genomic Surveillance Compact linking regional capacity, interoperability, tiered data access, reciprocal benefit-sharing, methodological transparency, privacy safeguards, and genomics-to-action guidance. Analyses span respiratory viruses, vector-borne diseases, zoonoses, and antimicrobial resistance, with performance assessed through timeliness, representativeness, actionability, and equity.