Regional Commissions

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has set up five Regional Commissions to express specific problems facing its Members in the different regions of the world. These Commissions can be seen as fully fledged regional institutional bodies.

Each Regional Commission organises a Conference every two years in one of the countries of the region. These Conferences are devoted to technical items and to regional cooperation in the control of animal diseases.

Regional programmes may be developed to reinforce surveillance and control of major animal diseases, especially for regions where WOAH maintains a Regional or Sub-Regional Representation. The Regional Commissions work closely with these Representations.

Regional Commissions report on their activities and submit recommendations to the World Assembly of Delegates.

In May 2024, elections for the Bureaux (President, Vice-Presidents and Secretary General) of the Regional Commissions were held for a three-year term of office. The current composition of the Bureaux is as follows:

Africa

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  • Dr. Honoré Robert N'lemba Mabela

    Président de la Commission Régionale pour l'Afrique

    CONGO (DEM. REP. OF THE)

    About

    Department

    Direction des Services Vétérinaires

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la Pêche

    Ministry contact details

    Blvd 30 juin, Av Batetela, Kinshasa-Gombe, Kinshasa 1

    KINSHASA

  • Dr. Abderrahman El Abrak

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for Africa

    MOROCCO

    About

    Department

    Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires (ONSSA)

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Pêche Maritime, du Développement Rural et des Eaux et Forêts

    Ministry contact details

    Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui Agdal – Rabat

    RABAT

  • Dr. Anna Rose Ademun Okurut

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for Africa

    UGANDA

    About

    Department

    Animal Health

    Ministry contact details

    P.O. Box

    Entebbe

    102

  • Vacant position

Americas

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  • Dr. Rosemary Sifford

    President of the Regional Commission for the Americas and Deputy Administrator Veterinary Services Chief Veterinary Officer

    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    About

    Department

    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services

    Organisation/Ministry

    United States Department of Agriculture

    Ministry contact details

    1400 Independence Avenue, SW J.L. Whitten Building, Room 317-E, Washington, DC 20250

    WASHINGTON

  • Dr. Carlos Orellana Vaquero

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for the Americas

    CHILE

    About

    Department

    de la División de Protección Pecuaria del Servicio Agricola y Ganadero (SAG)

  • Dr. Rafael Enrique Rodriguez Alvarado

    Director Téchnico de Salud Animal – Vice President of the Regional Commission for the Americas

    HONDURAS

    About

    Department

    Sanidad e Inocuidad Agroalimentaria SGA-SENASA

    Organisation/Ministry

    Secretaría de Agricultura y Ganadería

  • Dr. Roxanna Alvarez

    Secretary General of the Regional Commission for the Americas

    BELIZE

    About

    Department

    Animal Health Department – Agricultural Health Authority

Asia and Pacific

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  • Dr. Baoxu Huang

    President of the Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific

    PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

    About

    Department

    Animal Health and Epidemiology Center

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

    Ministry contact details

    n°369 Nanjing Road,

    Qingdao

    266032

    Qingdao City of Shandong Province

  • Dr. Akma Ngah Hamid

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific – Director General

    MALAYSIA

    About

    Department

    Department of Veterinary Services

  • Dr. Kasthuri Arachchige Chandrika Abeyratne Kothalawala

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific – Director General/ Veterinary Research

    SRI LANKA

    About

    Department

    Department of Animal Production and Health

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation & Fisheries

    Ministry contact details

    Dr. Hemal Kothalawala

    PERADENIYA

  • Dr. Beth Cookson

    Secretary General of the Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific

    AUSTRALIA

    About

    Department

    Department Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry –

Europe

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  • Dr. Maris Balodis

    President of the Regional Commission for Europe

    LATVIA

    About

    Department

    Food and Veterinary Service

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Agriculture

    Ministry contact details

    Peldu nr. 30 Riga LV-1050

    RIGA

  • Dr. Ulrich Herzog

    Vice-President of the Regional Commission

    AUSTRIA

    About

    Department

    Department Consumer Health – Leiter der Sektion III “Konsumentenpolitik und Verbrauchergesundheit”

    Organisation/Ministry

    Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection

    Ministry contact details

    Radetzkystrasse 2 A-1031 Vienna

    VIENNA

  • Dr. Vasili Basiladze

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for Europe

    GEORGIA

    About

    Department

    LEPL National Food Agency

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture

    Ministry contact details

    n°6 Marshal Gelovani ave,Tbilissi 0159

    TBILISSI

  • Vacant position

Middle East

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  • Dr. Sanad Al-Harbi

    President of the Regional Commission for the Middle East

    SAUDI ARABIA

    About

    Department

    National Center – for the Prevention and Control of Plants & Animal Diseases – Ministry of Environment Water & Agriculture – Head of the Animal Health Sector

  • Dr. Christodoulos Pipis

    Vice President of the Regional Commission for the Middle East

    CYPRUS

    About

    Department

    Veterinary Services

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment

    Ministry contact details

    Nicosia

    NICOSIE

  • Dr. Samah Al Sharif

    Vice-President of the Regional Commission for the Middle East

    OMAN

    About

    Department

    Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources

    Ministry contact details

    Muscat Governorate

    P.O Box 467 –

  • Dr. Elias Ibrahim

    Secretary General of the Regional Commission for the Middle East

    LEBANON

    About

    Department

    Animal Resources Department

    Organisation/Ministry

    Ministry of Agriculture

    Ministry contact details

    Beyrouth

Contact

Regional Activities Department 

Email: [email protected]