Óscar Fernández
ofernandezfdez.bsky.social
Óscar Fernández
@ofernandezfdez.bsky.social

Postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University. EU external action & global health governance. Tennis geek 🎾

Political science 24%
Sociology 24%
📝 REPORT: Pandemic Agreement

COVID-19 exposed cracks in the global health system. Enter: The 2025 Pandemic Agreement.

A new ENSURED report by @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social & @mirkoheinzel.bsky.social finds the agreement to be a meaningful, if partial, landmark for future pandemics.

👇
The WHO Pandemic Agreement: Bolstering Global Health Security Against Political Headwinds - Research Report | ENSURED
The Pandemic Agreement marks a landmark step in strengthening global health cooperation. Born out of the failures revealed by COVID-19, it represents a victory for multilateralism – though questions r...
www.ensuredeurope.eu

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

Looking forward to welcoming @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social to discuss the @ensured.bsky.social report this week!

Weds 11 June 12pm (BST) / 13:00 CET

To register, follow link:
euhealthgov.org/euhealthgov-...
😷 WEBINAR | Navigating Regime Complexity in Global Health

Join ENSURED's @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social (@fasosmaastricht.bsky.social) for an @euhealthgov.bsky.social event on how the EU navigates health governance.

📅 June 11
🕝 13–14 CEST
📍 Online
✍️: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/01c616...
🌐 As the #WHA78 opens today, a new ENSURED report asks: How does the IP–public health regime impact vaccine access?

Read how WTO, WHO & WIPO dynamics shape policy – and what it means going forward.

📝 By @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social & @mirkoheinzel.bsky.social

🔗 www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications...

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

Great to share our new webinar! Join us 12pm (UK) / 13h (CET) to hear from @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social about the EU's role + regime complexity in global health!

Abstract and registration via link!
euhealthgov.org/euhealthgov-...
EUHealthGov with Óscar Fernández: Navigating Regime Complexity in Global Health: The Role of the European Union – EU Health Governance Network
euhealthgov.org
COVID-19 hit on a big ❓ in global health: Do intellectual property protections foster or hinder equitable access to vaccines?

In a new ENSURED report, @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social & @mirkoheinzel.bsky.social (@fasosmaastricht.bsky.social) explore this tension & the regime complex governing it.

👇
The Intellectual Property and Public Health Regime Complex: Considerations on Vaccine Access and Equity - Research Report | ENSURED
How have multilateral institutions shaped policy responses on vaccine access? During the COVID-19 pandemic, intellectual property rights were often prioritised over quick, equitable vaccine access. Ho...
www.ensuredeurope.eu

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

🌟 Scholar Spotlight 🌟

@ofernandezfdez.bsky.social explores how IR scholars view the EU’s global health role post-COVID-19, re-examining ‘actorness’ and suggesting a new research agenda to reflect its evolving position.

🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Do strong IP protections ⬆️ innovation or ⬇️ equitable vaccine access?🤔

New @ensured.bsky.social research by @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social & @mirkoheinzel.bsky.social & other researchers explores this tension & the fragmented field of global health governance.

👇
www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications...
The Intellectual Property and Public Health Regime Complex: Considerations on Vaccine Access and Equity - Research Report | ENSURED
How have multilateral institutions shaped policy responses on vaccine access? During the COVID-19 pandemic, intellectual property rights were often prioritised over quick, equitable vaccine access. Ho...
www.ensuredeurope.eu
Hot off the press: ENSURED’s first 5 research reports! 🥳🎉

Multilateralism: What's working, what isn’t & where is room for reform?

A deep dive:
🛠 WTO reform
🌱 UNFCCC decision-making
💉 IP-Public Health nexus
⚖️ UN HRC
💻 Cyberspace governance

Read the reports 👉 www.ensuredeurope.eu/publications

Reposted by Hylke Dijkstra

It was long and it wasn't always pretty, but the pandemic agreement is finally fully green, showing multilateralism is still alive.
Lots of work still ahead for the agreement to become a reality!

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

🩺 COVID-19 pushed health policy to the top of the EU agenda—but where does it stand now?

In a SPCIS interview, ENSURED’s @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social unpacks:

✅ The EU’s evolving role in health governance
✅ Lessons from COVID-19 & ongoing coordination struggles
✅ The future of EU health initiatives
The EU in Global Health Governance: Challenges, Transformations, and Future Prospects
Óscar Fernández, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University. He is a contributor to the Horizon Europe project "ENSURED", which focuses on how the European Union (EU) and its member st...
www.spcis.org

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

It's been 5 years since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. How has the EU adapted?

Join @idamusialkowska.bsky.social & ENSURED's @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social for a webinar on the state of global health governance!

📆 Tuesday, March 11
⏰ 3PM CET
📍 Online
🔗 dcu-ie.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

COVID-19 showed that diseases know no borders.

In ENSURED, we want to understand how the EU can make global health governance more fit-for-purpose.

Over the next year, @mirkoheinzel.bsky.social & @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social will research:

✅ Vaccine equity
✅ The pandemic treaty
✅ WHO reform

"Amplios sectores en EE UU . . . se sienten incómodos con la idea de operar dentro de un sistema multilateral donde todos los países tienen un voto . . . Prefieren estar en el asiento del conductor y solo si estrictamente necesario, acompañados por otros que piensan igual" elpais.com/opinion/2025...
La salida de EE UU de la OMS es un golpe a la arquitectura internacional de la salud global
La organización tiene la oportunidad de impulsar una negociación para una reforma profunda que la haga más ágil, despolitizada, transparente, eficiente y técnicamente sólida
elpais.com

PUBLICATION DAY! Our book "The Survival of International Organizations" is now available online (for free) with Oxford University Press 🎉

academic.oup.com/book/59488
The Survival of International Organizations: Institutional Responses to Existential Challenges
Abstract. While international organizations (IOs) have played a central role in global governance in the post-Cold War period, during the last decade many
academic.oup.com

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

As one of his 1st actions, US President Trump pulled out of the World Health Organization.

In his December blog, @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social says 🇪🇺 must step up.

"While multilateral breakthroughs will be difficult, there is hope in weathering the storm."

➡️ www.ensuredeurope.eu/blog/securit...
"Words Like Threat, Emergency, or War": Securitising Global Health - Expert Blog | ENSURED
More and more, policymakers are framing health concerns like pandemics as security priorities. What can we learn from COVID-19 and other global health challenges about the impact of this securitisatio...
www.ensuredeurope.eu

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

In a new blog, #ENSURED’s Óscar Fernández argues that the EU increasingly responded to COVID-19 as if were a security threat.

What exactly did the securitised response entail? And what can we learn from COVID & other outbreaks about the impact of this approach?

www.ensuredeurope.eu/blog/securit...
"Words Like Threat, Emergency, or War": Securitising Global Health - Expert Blog | ENSURED
More and more, policymakers are framing health concerns like pandemics as security priorities. What can we learn from COVID-19 and other global health challenges about the impact of this securitisatio...
www.ensuredeurope.eu

Academia can sometimes be a bit rough, but being surrounded by wonderful colleagues like @evamichaels.bsky.social makes it all worth it. Huge thanks for your help and support over all this time ☺️
Massive congratulations to my dear friend Dr @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social who obtained his PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona with flying colours 🎉 @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social are very lucky! Oscar has published widely on the EU as a global health actor & EU security/defence too👇

No better way to get started at Bluesky! Massive thanks to you, @heidimaurer.bsky.social, and to everyone who was part of my PhD journey 😇
Congratulations Dr @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social. A stellar performance and thanks for having the honour to be part of your defence committee.

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

Massive congratulations to my dear friend Dr @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social who obtained his PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona with flying colours 🎉 @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social are very lucky! Oscar has published widely on the EU as a global health actor & EU security/defence too👇

Reposted by Óscar Fernández

Congratulations Dr @ofernandezfdez.bsky.social. A stellar performance and thanks for having the honour to be part of your defence committee.