WOAH launches Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series to strengthen political engagement on animal health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched its new Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series, bringing together diplomats to place animal health firmly on the global political agenda and to promote investment in prevention as a strategic priority.  Hosted on 11 February 2026 in Paris, the inaugural meeting marked the first in a planned series of high-level diplomatic dialogues aimed at strengthening links between animal health and major global policy debates on health security, food systems, trade, climate resilience and sustainable development. 

Opening the session, WOAH Director General Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran stressed that animal health is not a technical issue confined to Veterinary Services, but a strategic concern with far-reaching implications. Discussions focused on how animal health can be more systematically reflected in political and financial decision-making, at a time when emerging diseases, antimicrobial resistance and climate pressures are reshaping global risk landscapes. 

Investing in Veterinary Services, surveillance systems and prevention measures is among the most cost-effective ways to reduce the risk of pandemics, protect trade flows and stabilise food systems.

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH Director General

When animal health is absent from international discussions, prevention is often underfunded, increasing the human and economic costs of future health crises. Against this backdrop, participants explored how diplomatic engagement can help shift this dynamic by integrating animal health into broader global priorities, including pandemic preparedness, sustainable trade, and food system transformation.

Diplomats welcomed the launch of the Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series as an important step towards structured engagement with WOAH and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting animal health as a strategic issue for global resilience. Several ambassadors underlined the importance of raising political visibility for animal health within national and multilateral decision-making processes.

In this context, Her Excellency Ana Elena Pinto Lizano, Ambassador of Costa Rica, recalled the objective of the meeting to enhance the visibility of WOAH’s work and to ensure that animal health is recognised as a global public good for countries. She emphasised the importance of supporting Member Delegates in further elevating animal health within their national agendas, including as a strategic component of foreign policy. She noted that, while technical expertise remains the foundation of WOAH’s work, complementing it with strengthened policy dialogue can enhance coordination with key stakeholders such as Ministries of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions, thereby reinforcing coherence and impact at the international level.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for WOAH to present its strategic orientations for 2026–2031, including its objective to position animal health and welfare as global public goods under a One Health approach—an imperative widely recognised by the diplomats in the room.

Without good animal health, we are all at risk to public health emergencies. As Ambassadors, we can do our part by contributing to the increased visibility on the importance of animal health as we approach the evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.

Her Excellency Mavis Ama FRIMPONG, Ambassador of Ghana

“Animal health is central to common security, elimination of hunger and disease prevention. We need to put animal health at the centre of the global development agenda. We need to secure more funding and identify stronger voices from all continents to advocate for animal health.”, adds Her Excellency Mavis Ama FRIMPONG.

Political engagement was identified as essential to ensuring that animal health is reflected in international declarations, financing frameworks, and development strategies, with ambassadors seen as key allies in advancing this shift.

The Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series is intended as a recurring diplomatic platform, enabling regular exchange between WOAH and the diplomatic community. Future sessions will continue to explore how animal health contributes to global public goods and how investment in prevention at the animal source can strengthen resilience across health, trade, and food systems.

Closing the meeting, WOAH reaffirmed its commitment to building long-term partnerships with its Members through their diplomatic representatives and to strengthening the political foundations of animal health worldwide.