Agreement with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

COOPERATION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIC AND MONETARY UNION (WAEMU)
AND
THE WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE)


Adopted by WAEMU and by the OIE on 25 May 2009

The West African Economic and Monetary Union hereinafter referred to as “WAEMU”, acting through the WAEMU Commission, 380, Avenue du Professeur Joseph Ki-Zerbo 01 BP 543 Ouagadougou 01 (Burkina Faso), represented by its President, Mr Soumaïla CISSE;

And

The World Organisation for Animal Health, hereinafter referred to as “the OIE”, 12 rue de Prony, 75 017 Paris, France, acting in its own right and on behalf of the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) and represented by its Director General, Dr Bernard Vallat;

Hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”;

Considering the relevant provisions of the WAEMU Treaty and of the Statutes of the OIE;
Considering Additional Protocol No. II relating to WAEMU’s sectorial policies, and in particular Article 13;
Considering the Additional Act No. 3/2001 of 19 December 2001, adopting the WAEMU Agricultural Policy (WAP), and in particular Articles 3 and 8;
Considering that achieving food security and improving the competitiveness of agricultural products form part of the main thrust of the WAP and of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD);
Considering the importance that WAEMU attaches to animal health and veterinary public health;
Considering the mandate given to the OIE with a view to improving world animal health;
Considering that, within the framework of its activities in West and Central Africa, the OIE has participated in the creation of the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) in Bamako, alongside FAO and the African Union – Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR);
Considering that the RAHC, whose mission is to accompany the development, coordination and implementation of animal health policies, can contribute to the effective implementation of actions to be carried out by the Parties within the framework of their cooperation;
Considering the exchange of letters between the Parties, and in particular the letter of 25 March 2008 relating to the OIE’s representation of the RAHC.

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1: Aim of the Agreement

The aim of the present Agreement is to establish relations for cooperation between WAEMU and the OIE in the field of animal health and veterinary public health, with a view to helping to achieve the Millennium Goals on food security and poverty reduction within the WAEMU zone, by improving the productivity of livestock farming in a sustainable manner.

Article 2: Areas of cooperation

Cooperation between WAEMU and the OIE will revolve around the priorities defined within the framework of the Union’s Agricultural Policy (WAP). WAEMU and the OIE will in particular collaborate to develop and implement projects and activities to control the main animal diseases and contribute to promoting appropriate agricultural policies. The areas of cooperation will relate to:

  • Technical cooperation in the field of animal health;
  • Exchange of scientific information and publications;
  • Strengthening of the Veterinary Services of countries in West Africa and epidemiological surveillance systems in countries of the sub-region;
  • Promotion of the PVS (Performance of Veterinary Services) Tool;
  • Dissemination of information on the occurrence or spread of animal diseases and zoonoses, on food safety and on animal welfare;
  • Cooperation on improving the veterinary medicinal products marketed in the WAEMU zone;
  • Dissemination and promotion of the use of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, the Aquatic Animal Health Code, the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals and the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals;
  • Promotion of twinning for diagnostic laboratories within the framework of programmes established by the two institutions;
  • Organisation of specific missions in the case of serious sanitary events.

These priorities may be adjusted to take into account the socio-economic and institutional context in order to meet the objectives of the WAP.

Article 3: Cooperation mechanisms

WAEMU and the OIE undertake to define by mutual agreement the priorities among the actions to be carried out within the framework of the present Agreement and to maintain permanent contacts with a view to updating these priorities. In this respect, each Party shall participate, within its own areas of interest, in consultations of the other Party in the field of animal health.

Article 4

The Director General of the OIE may invite the OIE Regional Representation for Africa and the Regional Animal Health Centre in Bamako to participate in the implementation of the aforementioned cooperation.

Article 5: Financial provisions

The two Parties undertake to facilitate the mobilisation of resources for the implementation of animal health and veterinary public health priorities.

The resources specifically obtained from national, regional and international institutions by WAEMU and the OIE for the implementation of the present Agreement shall be allocated to expenses relating to the principal activities of the various projects of mutual interest.

The OIE shall, under its control, reassign to the activities of the RAHC in Bamako any resources that WAEMU may allocate for the activities of the Centre.

Article 6: Control and evaluation

The subsidies granted by WAEMU to the RAHC through the intermediary of the OIE shall be subject to verification. In this respect, the WAEMU Commission will be able to conduct an evaluation of the implementation of the activities referred to in Article 5 above.

Article 7: Confidentiality

The Parties undertake to respect the confidentiality of any documents, information and data deemed to be confidential that they exchange within the framework of the present Agreement, whatever the medium.

Consequently, they undertake to take all appropriate measures not to communicate or otherwise divulge them to third parties, for whatever reason, without the prior written agreement of the Party in question.

Nonetheless, this clause does not apply to information within the public domain, to information known to the Parties prior to the signing of the present Agreement, or to information communicated by, or obtained from, a third party by legal means.

Article 8: Reciprocal representation

The President of the WAEMU Commission shall invite the Director General of the OIE to participate, or be represented, without voting rights, in meetings of the Veterinary Committee of WAEMU, and in other events of mutual interest.

Likewise, the Director General of the OIE shall invite the President of the WAEMU Commission to participate, or be represented, without voting rights, in General Sessions of the International Committee of the OIE, in meetings of the OIE Regional Commission for Africa, in international meetings and in other events of mutual interest organised by the OIE Central Bureau, the OIE Regional Representation for Africa and the RAHC in Bamako.

Article 9: Publications

Any publication or presentation relating to joint activities will be subject to prior transmission to the other Party for comment.

Article 10: Duration, Modification, Termination

The present Agreement is concluded for an indefinite period. It can be modified by an amendment, duly signed by both Parties.

It can be terminated in the case of force majeure or if either of the Parties fails to fulfil its obligations. In the latter case, the Party that takes the initiative to terminate the Agreement must inform the other Party by letter, stating the reasons and giving three months’ notice.

Article 11: Settlement of disputes

Any dispute arising from the interpretation and/or application of the present Agreement shall be settled by mutual agreement. In the event that a settlement cannot be reached by this means, any dispute arising from or relating to the present Agreement shall be resolved by arbitration.

Article 12: Entry into force

The present Agreement shall enter into force on the date it is signed. It is done in two original copies.

In witness whereof, the President of the WAEMU Commission and the Director General of the OIE have signed the present cooperation Agreement.

For the OIE

For the WAEMU Commission

Bernard VALLAT
Director General

Soumaïla CISSE
President