Lessons learned from previous international science panels: Implications for the new independent panel for evidence for action against antimicrobial resistance

In April, 125 scientists and experts from across the One Health domains will gather in Lagos, Nigeria, for a 1.5-day workshop to extract lessons from previous international science panels—such as the IPCC—and feed them directly into the design of the new UN-backed Independent Panel for Evidence for Action Against Antimicrobial Resistance (the AMR Panel). This matters because antimicrobial resistance is a growing global threat, but the new panel’s effectiveness will depend on getting its composition, governance, and scope right from the start. Past panels have varied widely in impact, yet no systematic effort has been made to capture what made some work better than others. This project fills that gap by convening a globally representative group—balanced across high-income and low- and middle-income countries—to produce specific, actionable recommendations on panel size, representation, and governance. If successful, the recommendations will shape a panel that can deliver credible, actionable evidence to governments, health agencies, and agricultural bodies worldwide. That could mean more effective policies to slow the spread of drug-resistant infections, preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations. The project is not fundamental science; it is a strategic design exercise aimed at making a high-stakes international mechanism work as well as possible from day one.