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The role of the OIE

in a safe and fair trade

Dr. Alex ThiermannPresident, Terrestrial Animal Health Code CommissionWorld Organisation for Animal Health

WTO Public Forum 2006Geneva, CH, September 2006

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World Organisation for Animal HealthOrganisation mondiale de la santé animaleOrganizacion Mundial de Sanidad Animal

• an intergovernmental organisation

• founded in 1924 by 28 countries

• predates the U.N.

Common name adopted by the International

Committee on May 2003

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2950

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167 Member Countries167 Member Countries (May 2006)(May 2006)

Americas: 29 – Africa: 50 – Europe: 49 – Middle East: 13 – Asia: 26Americas: 29 – Africa: 50 – Europe: 49 – Middle East: 13 – Asia: 26

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Why an SPS Agreement?Why an SPS Agreement?

Removal of non-tariff barriers to trade

GATT article XX(b)need for clearer rules

Concentrate on health measuresProvide rights and obligations

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Codex = Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission

OIE = World Organisation for Animal Health

IPPC = International Plant Protection Convention (FAO)

Standard-setting organisationsStandard-setting organisations

food safetyCODEX

animal health OIE

plant healthIPPC

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OIE ObjectivesOIE Objectives

1. To ensure accurate collection and transparency in reporting the animal health situation throughout the world.

2. Under the WTO-SPS Agreement mandate, establish standards on animal health and zoonoses for international trade in animals and animal products.

3. To collect, analyse and disseminate scientific veterinary information.

4. To provide technical expertise and encourage international solidarity in the control and eradication of animal diseases.

5. To improve the competencies and legal framework of Veterinary Services.

6. To develop guiding principles and specific recommendations for animal welfare

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PROBLEMPROBLEM

SpecialistCommissions

ReviewReview

Advice of experts or other Advice of experts or other Specialist CommissionsSpecialist Commissions

Draft textDraft text

COMMITTEE

DELEGATESDELEGATES

AdoptionAdoption

COMMITTEE,COMMITTEE,COMMISSIONS,COMMISSIONS,

DELEGATESDELEGATES

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OIE INTERNATIONALOIE INTERNATIONALSTANDARDSTANDARD

development development and updatingand updatinginternational international standardsstandards

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Direct costs of participationDirect costs of participation

delegates from 145/167 OIE Member Countries attended 2006 General Sessionregistration fees waived and daily expenses paid

experts participating in OIE Specialist Commissions, working groups and expert groups have their fares and expenses paid

EC has made available 100,000 Euros to assist participation of experts from developing countries in standards development

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Terrestrial Animal Health CodeTerrestrial Animal Health Code

Provides detailed recommendations of sanitary measures to be used by Chief Veterinary Officers of Member Countries in establishing regulations applying to the safe trade of animals and animal products, while avoiding unjustified restrictions

Contains recommendations covering ruminants, swine, equidae, rabbits, bees, poultry, dogs and cats

In five languages: English, French, Spanish and Russian (Arabic version recently released)

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Evolution of OIE standardsEvolution of OIE standards

Need to go from freedom status to risk-based

Emphasis on safety of the commodity

Essential role of epidemiological surveillance

Strength of laboratory network

Close link of surveillance to risk assessment

Maximize stakeholder participation

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Zoning and CompartmentalizationZoning and Compartmentalization

Regionalization: geographical ‘zoning’

Compartmentalization: ‘zoning’ on the basis of biosecurity in animal production systems

Role of wildlife in zoning and regionalization

Role of private and public sector

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BREEDINGFLOCK

BREEDINGFLOCK

FEEDSUPPLY

GROWINGFLOCK

SLAUGHTERHOUSE

GROWINGFLOCK

Equipment

Birds

Equipm

ent

Birds

Equipment

Equ

ipm

ent

Fee

dEquipment

CompartmentCompartment

Equipment

Birds

Feed

Feed

Equipment

Birds

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Influences on standardsInfluences on standards

pressure from exporting countries for less restrictions

pressure from importing countries for maximum protection

consumer and NGO reactions

pressure from developing countries for assistance in participating in the process

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Importance of adherence to Importance of adherence to OIE standardsOIE standards

Safe trade, based on scientific risk analysis

Commodity specific risk mitigation measures

Provides credibility to the Veterinary Services

Consistency of message to consumers

Demonstrate ability to detect emerging diseases

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International standards, conclusionsInternational standards, conclusions

National authorities and their stakeholders must become more involved in the OIE standard setting process

Authorities must implement the adopted OIE standards in their national regulations

Often national industry interests and short sighted politics interfere in the implementation of science based regulations

Global organizations and corporations can play a key role in the implementation of standards at national levels, as well as in the harmonization of animal health and safety of food rules

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Animal Welfare, current realityAnimal Welfare, current reality

Globalization is becoming a force that is revolutionizing international trade

The WTO recognizes the OIE as the standard-setting organization for animal health

There is an important link between animal health and animal welfare

However, there is no specific mention of animal welfare in the WTO agreements

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Animal Welfare guidelinesAnimal Welfare guidelines

Current guidelines:Sea transportLand transportSlaughterKilling for disease control

On-going work:Fish transport and slaughterUrban dog controlLaboratory animals

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Animal Welfare predictions!Animal Welfare predictions!

Animal welfare will increase in importance as a consumer demand and therefore international trade

Acceptance and enforcement of animal welfare guidelines in international trade will be slow

Animal welfare guidelines will be slowly incorporated through positive labeling

The welfare in traditional farming can easily become a competitive advantage to developing countries

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Emerging ZoonosisEmerging Zoonosis

An emerging zoonosis is a zoonosis that is newly recognized or newly evolved, or that has occurred previously but shows an increase in incidence or expansion in a geographic, host, or vector range.

Some of these diseases may further evolve and become effectively and essentially transmissible from human to human.

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Wildlife EID

DomesticAnimal EID

Human EID

Translocation

Human encroachmentEx situ contactEcological manipulation

Global travelUrbanizationBiomedicalmanipulation

Technology andIndustry

AgriculturalIntensification

EncroachmentIntroduction“Spill over” &“Spill back”

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Dasazak P. et.al.Science 2000 287:443

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Specific Challenges forSpecific Challenges forEmerging and Re-Emerging ZoonosesEmerging and Re-Emerging Zoonoses

Improving the global capacity for response

Improving early warning and surveillance systems using innovative technologies

Improving disease reporting

Improving diagnostics

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ConclusionsConclusions

The era of emerging zoonoses will continue and expand.The factors and driving forces producing this era show no sign of abatement.Local emerging diseases quickly become global.The significance and implications of emerging zoonoses are rapidly increasing in scope, scale, and importance.The convergence of human and animal health offers both important challenges and opportunities.

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Strengthening veterinary servicesStrengthening veterinary services

OIE considers Veterinary Services to be a Global Public Good

their coming into line with international standards is a public investment priority structure, organisation, resources, capacities, role

of the private sector and para-professionals

2001 World Bank/OIE MOU supports this view

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STDFSTDF

global programme in capacity building and technical assistance for developing countries

strategic aim is to assist countries to enhance their expertise and capacity to analyse and implement international SPS standards improving their human, animal and plant health

situationsimproving ability to gain and maintain markets

direct response to the demand to tailor technical assistance to countries’ needs not to merely provide 'generic' assistance

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STDFSTDF

3 OIE STDF projects to date

Train the trainers

Tool for evaluation of veterinary services

Strengthening veterinary services in Africa (ALive)

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Train the trainersTrain the trainers

to train a cadre of professionals capable of providing continuing training to private and public sectors adapted to the conditions, cultures and languages

of each regionfor enhanced implementation of the SPS

Agreement

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Train the trainersTrain the trainers

training covers: SPS Agreement including dispute settlement mechanisms,

and the roles of the 3 sistersOIE standards, and its standard setting and implementation

processOIE animal health information systemanimal production food safety and collaboration with Codexanimal health risk analysis with practical examples tailored

to the regionevaluation of veterinary services

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Train the trainersTrain the trainers

training will be adapted to animal health issues of greatest interest in each region

initially, workshops will be attached to ‘traditional’ WTO SPS workshops

aim to attract and prepare experts who are assigned at the national level to promote activities within OIE’s mandate

pilot workshops have developed training DVD to be used as base material (Bamako, Bangkok, Cairo, Vienna, Colombia)

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Strengthening Vet Services in AfricaStrengthening Vet Services in Africa

ALive (African Livestock), a World Bank initiative focused on livestock in Africa, aims to map existing programs and fill gaps between them, and initiate others focused on poverty reduction, economic growth,

research, regional and international market access, and sustainable institutions including Veterinary Services

reinforces OIE’s involvement in promoting animal health, both for poverty alleviation and for the safe conduct of international trade in animals and animal products

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Strengthening Vet Services in AfricaStrengthening Vet Services in Africa

the livestock sector in developing countries requires greater financial and operational challenges than other agricultural sectors

developed countries have a strong incentive to help control developing countries’ livestock diseases because of the likelihood of these diseases spreading internationally

OIE is examining the use of ALive in all Regions facing similar concerns

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Building a scientific community Building a scientific community through twinning arrangementsthrough twinning arrangements

several twinning arrangements are in place between OIE reference laboratoriesrole of the OIE as coordinator/catalyst in these arrangementsselection of prioritiesselection of relevant laboratoriesmediator/facilitator in discussionsevaluation of outputs

use of fundsexchange of scientistsorganisation of workshops

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RegionalRegional RepresentationsRepresentations

strengthening the OIE Regional Representations

implementation of capacity building programmes tailored to each Region

direct input into OIE Headquarters’ activities

focuse on assisting new OIE Delegates

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12 rue de Prony75017 Paris, France

Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 15 18 88 – Fax: + 33 (0)1 42 67 09 87Email: oie@oie.int

http://www.oie.int

World organisation for animal healthOrganisation mondiale de la santé animaleOrganizacion Mundial de Sanidad Animal