CoViNet is built on the global health agency's COVID-19 reference laboratory network that was established during the early days of the pandemic.

It is a network of global laboratories with expertise in human, animal and environmental coronavirus surveillance, currently comprising 36 laboratories from 21 countries in all six WHO regions.

Representatives from the laboratories convened in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday to finalize an action plan for this year and next years, aiming to enhance the preparedness of WHO member states in early detection, risk assessment, and response to health challenges associated with coronaviruses.