The World Health Organisation (WHO), battling to coordinate the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, has agreed to study recommendations for ambitious reforms made by independent experts to strengthen the agency.

Under the resolution put forward by the European Union, and adopted by consensus, member states are to be firmly in the driver's seat of the reforms, which follow criticisms of the global handling of the crisis, Reuters reports.

Health ministers from WHO's 194 member states will also meet from Nov 29 to decide whether to launch negotiations on an international treaty aimed at boosting defences against any future pandemic.