Dr Derek BeltonHead, International Trade DepartmentWorld Organisation for Animal Health

Animal Welfare in a livestock export market context – working together to improve

global animal welfare

Contents

1. Introduction

2. OIE background and standard setting

3. The SPS Agreement

4. OIE Animal Welfare Standards

5. OIE support to member countries

6. Private Standards

7. Working together

8. OIE priorities, known challenges & certainties

9. Conclusions

Animal welfare is a complex multifaceted public policy issue that includes important scientific, ethical, economic and political dimensions.

OIE Member Countries have widely varying perspectives and experience.

By working together we know that governments, the private sector, international organisations and donors really can successfully address societal expectations for animal welfare.

Introduction

The International Intergovernmental organisation

responsible for improving animal health and

welfare worldwide

Created 1924, now 178 Members

Maintain permanent relations with 60 other international and regional organisations

Scientific network:• 241 OIE Reference Laboratories (in 37 countries) • 43 Collaborating Centres (in 24 countries)

OIE Background

Chronology

An intergovernmental organisation preceding the United Nations

• Transparency of the animal disease situation worldwide

• Scientific information

• International support to developing countries and the role played

by Veterinary Services

• Safety of international trade of animals and animal products

• Food safety and animal welfare

To achieve these objectives OIE collects, analyses and publishes a lot of information

OIE Objectives

OIE’s International Standard Setting

OIE develops and publishes standards for the prevention and control of animal diseases as well as for the

safe trade of animals and animal products and standards for animal welfare => Codes

biological standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines => Manuals

Adopted by OIE Member Countries during General Session each May by consensus

Developed using a science-based approach

Request

ad hoc Groups

Commissions, Delegates and Others

Comments

2 rounds

TAHSC or AAHSC

Report & textsOIE Members

AWWG

Updated text Codes/Manuals

World Assembly

Text for commentText for adoption

Adopted

OIE Standard setting procedure

Strengths of OIE Standards

1. Science based

2. Transparent and democratic process of development and

adoption

3. 178 Member Countries support

The WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement)

• Agreed in 1994, came into force 1 January 1995

• Recognises OIE as the International Standard Setting Body for

Animal Health

• Most OIE members are also WTO members (but not all)

• Does not cover animal welfare (though animal health is a

significant component of animal welfare)

SPS Agreement – article 2.1

Members have the right to take sanitary and phytosanitary measures

necessary for the protection of human, animal or plant life or health,

provided that such measures are not inconsistent with the provisions

of this agreement.

SPS Agreement – article 3.1

To harmonise sanitary and phytosanitary measures on as wide a

basis as possible, Members shall base their sanitary or phytosanitary

measures on international standards, guidelines or

recommendations, where they exist, except as otherwise provided in

this Agreement, and in particular in paragraph 3.

Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress.

Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter/killing.

Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment.

Definition of Animal Welfare for the Purpose of the Terrestrial Code

• Animal welfare and health are linked• Five freedoms • Three R’s (reduction, refinement, replacement)• Scientific basis for standards• Contribution to human wellbeing • Use of animals carries with it an ethical responsibility to ensure

their welfare • Better animal welfare can improve productivity and deliver

economic benefits• Equivalent outcomes based on performance criteria are the basis

for comparison of animal welfare standards

OIE Guiding Principles for Animal Welfare

1. Freedom from hunger thirst and

malnutrition

2. Freedom from fear and distress

3. Freedom from physical and thermal discomfort

4. Freedom from pain injury and disease

5. Freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour

6. Freedom to live a life worth living

Five Freedoms

2000: Animal welfare recognised as a strategic priority in the 3rd OIE Strategic Plan 2001-2005;

2002: Adoption by the World Assembly of OIE Delegates of a Resolution leading to the creation of a permanent Animal Welfare Working Group;

2004: Adoption of the Definition and General Principles on Animal Welfare. Beginning of the drafting of AW Chapters;

Transport and slaughter were the first priorities

Evolution of the animal welfare agenda

Current standards on animal welfare in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code

(http://www.oie.int/en/international-standard-setting/terrestrial-code/access-online/)

•Introduction to the recommendations for animal welfare

•Transport of animals by land (2005)

•Transport of animals by sea (2005)

•Transport of animals by air (2005)

•Slaughter of animals for human consumption (2005)

•Killing of animals for disease control purposes

•Control of stray dog populations.

•Use of animals in research and education

•Animal Welfare and Beef Cattle Production Systems (2012)

•Animal Welfare and Broiler Chicken Production Systems

Support to OIE Member Countries

Regular training of OIE Delegates

Seminars for OIE National Focal Points

OIE Collaborating Centre training activities

OIE Twinning initiatives

Regional Animal Welfare Strategies

The PVS Pathway

OIE’s Improved Animal Welfare Programme

OIE’s informal procedure for dispute mediation

Australian investment in improving implementation of OIE animal welfare standards in livestock export and slaughter is both leading and driving international best practice.

Animal Welfare in the OIE Scientific & Technical Review

• Vol. 13 (1994) Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services

• Vol. 24 (2) (2005) Animal Welfare: global issues, trends and challenges

• Vol 32 (3) (2013) Plurithematic Issue: Application of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code to Animal Welfare. M A Schipp and A D Sheridan

• Vol. 33 (2014) Animal Welfare: focussing on the future

OIE Global Conferences

Raise awareness, share experiences, improve understanding,

and help build consensus across all interested parties.

2004 – Paris: Global Conference on Animal Welfare: an OIE initiative

2008 – Cairo: Putting the OIE Standards to work

2012 - Kuala Lumpur: Implementing the OIE standards – addressing

regional expectations

2016 - Chile

• First round of training completed in Indonesia, the Philippines,

Turkey.

• Parallel training in Thailand

• Training underway in Vietnam.

• Planning underway for Jordan (including Egyptian participants)

• Further training in Asia and the Middle East according to resources

and donor priorities

7

OIE Improved animal welfare programme

• Program dedicated to support implementation of OIE AW standards

(transport and slaughter) in eligible countries

• High level planning workshop in Indonesia paved way for training of

trainers (TOT) workshops organised in 2012

• OIE training tools for future TOT interventions in other countries have

been developed

7

OIE Improved animal welfare programme

Private Standards & Specifications

• Animal welfare has become a focus of attention for multinational food companies

• Market power of large multinationals increasingly drives producer practice

• OIE World Assembly Resolutions 2008 and 2010• 2012 Cooperation Agreement between OIE & ISO• ISO TC 32 working group

OIE Animal Welfare priorities

Standards Development Production systems

Dairy Cattle

Working animals Disaster management

Implementation

Improve participation by all OIE Members, and all interested parties, in the standard setting process.

Improve implementation of OIE Animal Health and Welfare Standards Collaborate with private standard setting organisations (e.g. ISO and Global

GAP) to improve and refine implementation of OIE standards.

Future certainties

• Animal welfare expectations and standards for the live export trade will continue to evolve.

• True learning always takes us out of the known and comfortable, and requires significant investment.

Future Challenges

• Public interest and concern about animal welfare is likely to continue to increase.

• WTO members are likely to remain hesitant about including animal welfare in WTO negotiations.

• Private sector specifications that provide competitive advantage will continue to evolve.

• Recognition of alternate systems in developing countries that produce equivalent animal welfare outcomes will probably need more attention.

Conclusions

• OIE science based standards developed through an inclusive and democratic process are a well established and powerful tool to establish globally acceptable animal welfare standards.

• For effective implementation of OIE standards many countries need: – Support to update legislation– Capacity building assistance and budget support for their

veterinary services

Conclusions

• Your investments in improving animal welfare and taking those improvements to the rest of the world have OIE’s full support.

• Working together governments, the private sector, international organisations, and donors can successfully address societal expectations for animal welfare.

12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris, France - www.oie.int – oie@oie.int

Organisation mondialede la santé animale

World Organisationfor Animal Health

Organización Mundialde Sanidad Animal

Protecting Animals, Preserving our future

Thank you for your support

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its

animals are treated” M. Ghandi