The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) international standard-setting process is science-based, transparent, inclusive, and democratic, governed by the principle of “One Member, One Voice.”
The WOAH Regional Representation for the Americas has implemented a new mechanism to strengthen the capacity of Members in the region to participate in the process of creating and modifying WOAH standards by forming a Community of Practice.
This innovative regional mechanism, initiated in response to the interest of Members in the Americas, seeks to achieve more active and meaningful participation by countries in the region in the process, promoting inclusiveness and seeking to ensure that WOAH international standards accurately reflect the needs and experience of the region and are applicable in the regional context.
For that, Delegates have appointed a member of their technical team, either for terrestrial or aquatic animal standards, to be part of this innovative project. Participants hold regular virtual meetings under the guidance of a mentor, focusing on understanding procedures, monitoring annual schedules, and sharing experiences, regulatory alerts, and best practices.
This working model creates a collaborative and voluntary space for the exchange of best practices, experiences, and strategies between member countries and the WOAH Regional Representation. The mechanism also seeks to enhance the use of other existing regional and subregional mechanisms for technical exchange and the preparation or coordination of comments or positions.
More Information:
You can learn more about the WOAH standards setting and modification procedure here (Standard-Setting Process – WOAH – World Organisation for Animal Health
You can read the Terms of Reference of the Community of Practice here.
For inquiries regarding the Community of Practice, please contact our Regional Representation at [email protected]
