What does " conditions precedent" mean in the sentence below?

[rezaaa]

"It told the BBC that Ghana was one of the countries selected to receive the first batch of vaccine doses "as it met the conditions precedent for receiving the vaccine". Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56180161
I almost know that "precedent" means an action or decision happened before is used as a point of reference for future events.

 

[GoesStation]

It's an editing error. The author initially wrote either "conditions" or "precedent" — I'd guess "precedent" — then realized that "conditions" was a better choice. They forgot to delete the first word and ended up with both.

 

[jutfrank]

It's an editing error. The author initially wrote either "conditions" or "precedent" — I'd guess "precedent" — then realized that "conditions" was a better choice. They forgot to delete the first word and ended up with both.

That could be the case I suppose but I don't think so.

I think a more likely answer is that the WHO representative quoted did mean to use precedent in this unusual, and apparently unnecessary way. I take it to be a way of stating that the conditions were already in place when the selection was made, which seems rather obvious.

My guess would be that the quote was taken from a written statement rather than a spoken one.

 

[GoesStation]

The quoted sentence is no longer on the linked page. I suspect it's been replaced with "Ghana was chosen as the first recipient after promising quick distribution."

 

[jutfrank]

It appears to have been redacted. I can't figure out why that could be.

If you compare the BBC source with other secondary sources, it seems that It in the OP sentence is UNICEF, since in those secondary sources the sentence in question comes directly after the final sentence of the original BBC source (i.e., before the What is Covax? section).

Here are a couple of secondary sources:

https://waltainfo.com/ghana-becomes-1st-country-to-receive-covax-vaccines/
https://www.reportdoor.com/who-scheme-covax-delivers-first-vaccines/

 

[Tdol]

If they have redacted it, the error theory has some substance.

 

[tedmc]

"Condition precedent" is a set phrase used in contract matters.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/condition-precedent.asp

It is used in building contracts which I am involved in. For example, a contract usually states that certain conditions need to be satisfied before a clause/provision in the contract can be invoked, as in the imposition of penalty for late completion of a project, or the determination of a contract.