GENEVA, (Reuters) – Saturday saw countries around the globe adopt an initial U.S.-led overhaul of rules governing disease outbreaks known as International Health Regulations (IHR).

At the World Health Organization (WHO), the amendments were adopted in a meeting that was considered a unique opportunity for the U.N. agency to improve its position after the COVID-19 epidemic, which saw 15 million people die.

After much opposition from Africa, and other countries, the breakthrough was achieved this week: amendments to Article59 of the IHR which will accelerate the implementation reforms.

Washington’s changes, supported by Japan and other countries like the European Union and Japan, are a start to a larger reform of IHR. This set forth legal obligations for nations in relation to disease outbreaks. It is expected that this will take at least two years.

Ambassador Sheba Crocker of the United States to the United Nations in Geneva hailed the “significant achievement” of the first amendments. She also agreed to establish a working party to examine targeted substantive amendments.

“An updated, modernized IHR will help all countries and will ensure we have the information, resources, capacity, and transparency needed to address future global health crises,” she said in a statement.