Thème technique 2020

 

“Required competencies of Veterinary Services
in the context of international trade: opportunities and challenges”

(2020 Technical Item)

Introduction

Veterinary Services are the custodians of animal health and welfare and veterinary public health at national level. They are the basis for sanitary certification of animals and animal products destined for trade, through which it is essential to establish a relationship of trust and confidence based on good governance, transparency and information sharing. The private sector, including farmers and industry, play an important role in partnership with Veterinary Services, as they help Veterinary Services fully their sanitary mandate.

However, with globalisation placing increased importance on animal health measures, many countries cannot access valuable markets as they are unable to control or eradicate important diseases that have an impact on trade. Better access to markets for all countries will only be possible through appropriate investments in Veterinary Services. Many investments to produce and/or trade in animal and animal products that were in the pipeline for developing countries have been thwarted by a lack of confidence in national Veterinary Services to provide the necessary government health certification and related ongoing sanitary assurances to support and sustain export markets.

Compliance with OIE standards relating to trade and to the effective control of animal diseases in these countries would therefore assist them with accessing valuable markets, with better prices and ensuring a sustainable sector that can provide a key source of high-quality animal protein for our growing human population. OIE is currently developing its training system to better assist its Members in implementing OIE standards.

The Report provides rich information summarizing international systems and their implications for Veterinary Services currently engaged in or aspiring to expand activities supporting trade. An analytical framework is constructed, sources of intelligence identified, evidence gathered and prepared for analysis, and analytical findings used to develop recommendations that will improve delivery of programmes for the benefit of our Members.
  • Foreword by OIE Director General, Dr Monique Eloit

  • Video by the Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Dr Thanawat Tiensin

Biography from T. Tiensin?

Technical Item Report

The Report is composed of five distinct parts – which can be used as stand-alone documents – dealing respectively with: the international regulatory framework; the role of Veterinary Services in international trade; challenges faced by Veterinary Services in the context of international trade and successful practices; Veterinary Services’ competencies to secure and facilitate international trade; OIE capacity-building activities to reinforce Veterinary Services’ capacity on trade.

Each of them is presented with associated resources, which all together intend to assist OIE Member countries to better implement OIE standards and secure international trade of animals and their products.

The international trade regulatory framework

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements and OIE international standards provide the framework to facilitate the negotiation between exporting and importing countries and to agree on the sanitary requirements to be applied in trade of live animal and animal products. 
–> Read Report Part I


Associated resources:

Role of Veterinary Services in international trade


There might be as many ways to organise the process to define the conditions for trade between countries as there are country-country interactions. Still, the role and meaningfulness of Veterinary Services in this process are in essence the same despite the procedural differences.
–> Read Report Part II


Associated resources:

Challenges faced by Veterinary Services in the context of international trade and examples of successful practices

An analysis of PVS reports and other data sources (OIE Official status, self-declaration, WTO SPS Committee) was performed to identify key challenges faced by Veterinary services in the context of international trade as well as successful practices.

–> Read Report Part III


Associated resources:

Veterinary Services’ competencies to secure and facilitate international trade

and OIE capacity-building activities to reinforce VS capacity on trade

On the occasion of this Trade Competence Package development, new concepts will be tested, such as the organisation of trainings by country typology (instead of by region), the creation of an OIE Trade Focal Point, or the elaboration of a wide range of e-modules

–> Read Report Part IV and V


Associated resources:

Additional OIE Resources

Your opinion matters to us!


We would like to hear from you with any questions, remarks and suggestions you may have on the Report; they can concern any matters including topics that were not sufficiently treated or the proposals made regarding future OIE capapcity-building activities on trade presented in Part V.

Please share your views using the Forum dedicated to the 2020 Technical Item.