A logo is pictured on the headquarters of the World Health Orgnaization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, June 25, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS)

The WHO's emergency committee first made the declaration for COVID-19 in Jan 2020. Such a determination can help accelerate research, funding and international public health measures to contain a disease.

The UN-agency has said in recent months that while cases are falling in parts of the world, countries still need to maintain their vigilance and push to get their most vulnerable populations vaccinated.

It noted that even though the number of weekly deaths are the lowest since the pandemic began, they still remain high compared to other viruses.