G/SPS/GEN/1715  
 
2 July 2019  
(19-4423) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French/Spanish  
 
75TH MEETING OF THE SPS C OMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE WORLD ORGANISATIO N FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE)  
The following communication, received on 28 June 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
OIE. 
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The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is pleased to provide this report for the information 
of WTO Members attending the 7 5th meeting of the SPS Committee.  
1  87TH GENERAL SESSION  
1.1.  The OIE held its 87th General Session from 26 to 31 May 2019. During this annual event OIE 
member countr ies discuss and adopt new intergovernmental standards and guidelines aimed at 
improving animal health and welfare throughout the world. Over 850 participants, representing 
129 OIE member countries , representatives from international, intergovernmental, reg ional and 
national organisations and stakeholders took part in this event.  
1.2.  33 Resolutions were adopted by the OIE Delegates, including new and amended international 
standards aimed at protecting and improving animal health and welfare.  
1.3.  The Final Report of the 87th General Session is available on the OIE website at 
http://www.oie.int/en/about -us/key -texts/final -reports -of-the-general -session/ . 
1.1  Standard setting acti vities at the 87th General Session  
1.4.  The OIE Delegates adopted updated texts in its normative publications: Terrestrial Animal 
Health Code (Terrestrial Code), Aquatic Animal Health Code (Aquatic Code), Manual of Diagnostic 
Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial  Animals (Terrestrial Manual), and Manual of Diagnostic Tests for 
Aquatic Animals (Aquatic Manual).  
1.5.  Amendments adopted at the General Session comprised eight revised chapters and two new 
chapters in the OIE Terrestrial Code; eleven revised chapters in the  OIE Terrestrial Manual; nine 
revised chapters in the OIE Aquatic Code and four revised chapters in the Aquatic Manual. In addition 
to the adoption of new and revised chapters, some Glossary definitions were amended in the two 
Codes to ensure consistency a nd clarity.  
1.6.  Specific texts of interest to the SPS Committee included:  
1.2  Terrestrial Code  
− Chapter 1.4. Animal health surveillance  was updated after a comprehensive review. By 
providing updated guidance on surveillance, this chapter will better assist countri es in 
monitoring disease trends, facilitating disease control, and the demonstration of freedom 
from OIE listed diseases, infestations and infections. This transversal chapter relates to all 
disease -specific chapters and has a special interest for those di seases for which the OIE 
officially recognises disease status ; G/SPS/GEN/1715  
 
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  − Chapter 8.14 Infection with rabies virus  was adopted after a comprehensive review 
following a recommendation of the Rabies Global Conference (Geneva, 2015) and its 
endorsement by the Assembly a t the 84th General Session in 2016. The revised standard 
now includes guidance for countries to apply, on a voluntary basis, for OIE endorsement of 
their national control programmes for dog -mediated rabies. A procedure will now be 
developed by the OIE in a ccordance with this standard to provide members  with more details 
on the process to be followed to achieve OIE endorsement of their national control 
programme ; 
− A new Chapter 7.14. Killing of reptiles for their skins, meat and other products  was 
adopted to address the increasing need of ensuring captive and wild reptiles’ welfare during 
the process of killing. The new chapter describes how to use appropriate methods for 
restraining, stunning or killing reptiles, as well as the competencies ne eded for animal 
handlers, taking into consideration that the anatomy and physiology of reptiles are distinct 
from those of mammals and birds.  
1.7.  Information regarding all adopted amendments are available in the official report of the 
87th General  Session  and in the February 2019 meeting report of the Code Commission  which are 
available the OIE public website .  
1.8.  The online versions of the 28th edition (2019) of the Terrestrial Code  will soon be available and 
can be accessed from the OIE public website.  
1.3  Aquatic Code and Aquatic Manual  
− Amendments to several of the criteria for listing species as susceptible to infection with a 
specific pathogen (Ch apter 1.5.) were amended, and a new Article 1.5.9. was adopted to 
include a mechanism to list taxonomic groups of species as susceptible, when many species 
within a taxon have been determined to be susceptible and none has been found to be 
refractory to in fection ; 
− The list of susceptible species in the Chapters on infection with salmonid alphavirus, infection 
with koi herpesvirus, infection with spring viraemia of carp virus and infection with infectious 
haematopoietic necrosis virus in the Aquatic Code and  Aquatic Manual, were amended after 
consideration of the work of the ad hoc Group on Susceptibility of fish species to infection 
with OIE listed diseases ; 
− Article X.X.8. for all disease -specific chapters of the Aquatic Code (Article 10.4.12. for 
infection with infectious salmon anaemia) were amended to clarify that imported aquatic 
animals could be killed and processed either in the original quarantine facility (where the 
animals were grown) or following biosecure transport to another quarantine facility (f or 
processing).  
1.9.  Information regarding all adopted amendments are available in the official report of the  
87th General  Session  and in the February 2019 report of the Aquatic Animals Commission  which are 
available the OIE public website.  
1.10.   The online version o f the 22nd edition (2019) of the Aquatic Code  will soon be available and 
can be accessed from the OIE public website.  
1.4  Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Healt h  
1.11.   The fourth Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health was held in Santiago, Chile, from 2 to 
4 April 2019, with the theme of ‘Collaboration, sustainability: our future’. The key objectives of the 
Conference were to encourage and support members  and the OIE to improve aquatic animal health 
and welfare worldwide in response to the rapid development of the aquaculture industry and the 
high occurrence of emerging diseases. Successful management of disease emergence and spread 
requires prompt detection and re porting, improved husbandry and biosecurity practices, investment 
in aquatic animal health management that keeps pace with the growth of the industry, stronger 
aquatic animal health services and coordinated responses to emerging threats. 
The recommendation s from the conference emphasised the importance of national, regional and 
global collaboration in response to important new and emerging diseases of aquatic animals, 
ensuring that the OIE standards are relevant for small scale aquaculture and that biosecur ity 
measures are implemented based on risk and to ensure safe trade in genetic material. The G/SPS/GEN/1715  
 
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  recommendations will be considered carefully by the Aquatic Animals Commission in its work to 
revise and develop OIE international standards in the Aquatic Code an d Aquatic Manual for the 
improvement of aquatic animal health and welfare worldwide.  
1.12.   All abstracts and presentations  are available on the OIE website.  
1.5  Official OIE recognition of disease st atus and control programmes of member 
countries  
1.13.   OIE member countries can apply to be included in the list of countries with an officially 
recognised status for the following six priority diseases: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), 
foot and mouth dise ase (FMD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), African horse sickness, 
peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and classical swine fever (CSF).  
1.14.   At the 87th General Session, several new countries or zones of countries obtained official 
recognition of their s tatus:  
− Latvia and Uruguay, as well as a zone in Ecuador were officially recognised as being "free 
from CSF "; 
− Peru and Uruguay were officially recognised as being "free from CBPP "; 
− Croatia was officially recognised as being "free from PPR "; 
− Ecuador was off icially recognised as having a "controlled BSE risk ", and Serbia was officially 
recognised as having a "negligible BSE risk "; 
− a zone in Botswana and one in Bolivia  and five in Kazakhstan (an officially recognised FMD -
free zone without vaccination was split  into five zones) were officially recognised as "free 
from FMD without vaccination ". 
1.15.   In addition to official status recognition, new procedures describing the process for the 
preparation, assessment and approval of dossiers for the official recognition of disease status of 
non-contiguous territories were made available for OIE members . 
1.16.   Also of interest, procedures for self -declarations of disease freedom by countries (first 
published in December 2017) were updated in June 2019. Under the responsibility of OIE members , 
self-declarations provide a way to enhance transparency and to give visibility, in a timely manner, 
to the absence of diseases in countries.  
1.17.   The full list of countries and their recognised disease status for AHS, BSE, CBPP, CSF, FMD, 
and PPR   can be accessed online  on the OIE public website.  
1.6  Global animal health situation  
1.18.   During the General Session an analysis of events and trends that occurred in 2018 through 
to the beginning of 2019 was presented by the OIE World Animal Health Inform ation and Analysis 
Department based on reports submitted by member countries  and territories. Particular attention 
was paid to the global situation analysis regarding six OIE -Listed diseases and infections based on 
two pathways of spread: vectors for Infec tion with Rift Valley fever virus; West Nile fever and 
infection with bluetongue virus and movement of animals and animal products for infection with 
avian influenza viruses; infection with koi herpesvirus and infection with Batrachochytrium 
salamandrovira ns. Also, an evaluation of global compliance of members  reporting obligations and 
quality of reports submitted was shared with the Assembly. More information  can be found on the 
OIE website.  
1.7  Strategic challenges in the control of African swine fever at global level  
1.19.   Throughout the second semester of 2018, 25 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia 
informed the OIE of outbreaks of African swine fever in their territory. During the 87th OIE Gen eral 
Session, a report on the global ASF situation was presented to the Assembly. The full report: 
"Strategic challenges in the control of African swine fever at global level " and Resolution No.  33 on 
the Global situation relating to African swine fever are available at the OIE Website.  G/SPS/GEN/1715  
 
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  1.20.   Given the gravity of the situation and following the reque st of its member countries , the OIE 
launched a global initiative for the control of ASF. It will use the Global Framework for the Progressive 
Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF -TADs) mechanism to develop, improve and 
harmonise partnerships and co ordination at national, regional and international levels. The objective 
is to control the disease, strengthen countries’ prevention and preparation efforts, and minimise the 
adverse effects on animal health, animal welfare and international trade.  
1.8  Discuss ion about how external factors, such as climate change or conflicts, have an 
impact on Veterinary Services  
1.21.   During the 87th OIE General Session, a report on ‘How external factors will impact Veterinary 
Services and the adaptations required’ was presented to  the Assembly, identifying the most relevant 
external factors, examining how prepared Veterinary Services are, and what could help them to be 
better prepared.  
1.22.   To build this overview, the OIE conducted a survey among its member countries  (74% 
responded) and  stakeholders and a scenario -building workshop.  
1.23.   The report showed that both OIE member countries  and stakeholders judged Veterinary 
Services to have appropriate priorities, high levels of capacity, and strong influence; both groups of 
respondents also saw opportunities to further strengthen these. Through scenario planning, a 
preferred future "Green Growth with Equity " was identified along with suggestions for what 
Veterinary Services could do to help bring this about.  
1.24.   OIE member countries reported on the current future -oriented activities of Veterinary 
Services, showing overall high engagement in general planning and disease and health risk 
assessments, but less use of institutional risk assessment or formal foresight studies. However, they  
assessed these as highly important for Veterinary Services, thus implicating a gap which needs to 
be overcome so that Veterinary Services can be best prepared for an uncertain future. OIE member 
countries  identified and ranked actions that could support t he capacity of Veterinary Services for 
foresight and adaptation, including areas which the OIE would lead.  
1.25.   The full report: "How external factors (e.g. Climate change, con flicts, socio ‐economics, trading 
patterns) will impact veterinary services and the adaptations required " is available at the OIE 
Website.  
1.9  OIE scientific network  
1.26.   The OIE has access to leading knowledge and skills thanks to its global network of Reference 
Centres composed of Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres. Sharing of information 
among these various institutes has proved vital to our achievements in animal health and disease 
control throughout the world. In 2019, the number of official OIE Ce ntres of scientific excellence is 
312, located in 45 countries across the five OIE regions.  
1.27.   The updated list s of Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres are available  at: 
http://www.oie.int/en/scientific -expertise/reference -laboratories/list -of-laboratories/  and 
http://www.oie.int/en/scientific -exper tise/collaborating -centres/list -of-centres/ , respectively.  
2  CAPACITY BUILDING AC TIVITIES  
2.1  OIE Focal Point Seminars  
2.1.  OIE capacity -building activities also includes Information Seminars for Recently Appointed OIE 
Delegates and Regional Seminars for the OIE Nati onal Focal Points appointed for eight different areas 
(Animal Disease Notification to the OIE, Veterinary Products, Communication, Animal Production 
Food Safety, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Laboratories, Wildlife and Aquatic Animals). The aim of this 
progra mme is to provide good governance concepts for improving animal health, animal welfare and 
food safety of animal -origin products at the national, regional and international level, and to explain 
and clarify the role and responsibilities of newly -appointed OIE Delegates and of OIE National Focal 
Points with respect to OIE activities.  G/SPS/GEN/1715  
 
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  2.2.  These seminars provide participants with knowledge about the rights, commitments and 
responsibilities of OIE Delegates and OIE National Focal Points in the OIE standard -setting process 
and provide a forum for discussion of implementation and compliance with the OIE international 
standards. They allow the participants to acquire knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of 
Veterinary Services and other relevant competent auth orities, about relevant OIE international 
standards and about the specific tasks expected of National Focal Points in their respective areas.  
2.3.  These training sessions are also fora for experience sharing and discussion among countries 
within a region.  
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