G/SPS/GEN/2161  
 
30 October 2023  
(23-7326) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French/Spanish  
 
  
87TH MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH ( WOAH ) 
The following communication, received on 30 October  2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
WOAH . 
 
_______________  
 
 
The World Organisation for Animal Health  is pleased to provide this report for the information of 
WTO Members attending the 87th meeting of the SPS Committee.  
The report summari ses key activities from WOAH 's standard -setting work programme, along with 
updates on relevant WOAH capacity building activities.  
1  DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WOAH STANDARDS FOR TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ANIMALS  
1.1.  The four WOAH Specialist Commission s met virtually during S eptember 2023 to continue work 
to review existing and develop new WOAH international standards in the Terrestrial Animal Health 
Code, the Aquatic Animal Health Code , the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial 
Animals  and the Manual of Diag nostic Tests for Aquatic Animals , along with other activities relevant 
to each Commission 's terms of reference.  
1.2.  Reports of these four meetings, including new and revised standards circulated for comments, 
will be available on the WOAH website during Novemb er 2023. The links to these reports, once 
available, are provided below:  
• Biological Standards Commission  September 2023 meeting report.  
• Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases  September 2023 meeting report.  
• Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission  September 2023 meeting report.  
• Terrestrial Animal Health Commissi on September 2023 meeting report.  
1.3.  WOAH would like to highlight to the Committee the following work undertaken during these 
meetings.  
1.2  Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
1.4.  The Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission (Code Commission) circulated 28 texts 
(including glossary definitions and new and revised chapters) for comments. Twenty of these texts 
will be proposed for adoption at the 91st General Session in May 2024.  
1.5.  Revised  chapters that will be proposed for adoption at the 91st General Session include, among 
others, a revised Chapter 4. 6. General hygiene in semen collection and processing centres , a revised 
Chapter 6.10. Responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine, a revised 
Chapter 7.5. Slaughter of animals, a revised Chapter 8.8. Infection with foot and m outh disease 
virus, and a new Chapter 8.Z. Infection with Trypanosoma evansi  (surra).  G/SPS/GEN/2161  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.6.  New chapters circulated for comment include a new Chapter 4.X. Biosecurity, a  new 
Chapter  5.4. Measures and procedures applicable in the exportation of commodities and a  new 
Chapter 5.6. Measures and procedures applicable in the importation of commodities.  
1.3  Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals  
1.7.  The Biological Standards Commission circulated 15 chapters for first -round comments, 
including among oth ers, an updated or new section on vaccines for the chapters on lumpy skin 
disease and African swine fever, respectively.  
1.4  Aquatic Animal Health Code  
1.8.  The Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (Aquatic Animals Commission) continued its 
work to review the  susceptible species for WOAH listed aquatic animal diseases by applying the 
criteria for susceptibility in accordance with Chapter 1.5. of the Aquatic Code . The Aquatic Animals 
Commission reviewed the assessments for susceptible species to infection with Perkinsus marinus , 
infection with tilapia lake virus and infection with decapod iridescent virus 1 and circulated the 
revised Articles X.X.2 for comments.  
1.9.  The Aquatic Animals Commission developed four new chapters: Chapter 4.X. Emergency 
disease preparedne ss, Chapter 4.Y. Disease outbreak management, Chapter 4.Z. Control of 
pathogenic agents in traded milt and fertili sed eggs of fish and Chapter 5.X. Movement of ornamental 
aquatic animals and circulated the draft chapters for comments.  
1.10.   The Aquatic Animals Commission agreed to the revision of Chapter 4.3. Application of 
Compartmentali sation and circulated a discussion paper to engage member s on issues relevant to 
the revision of this.  
1.5  Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals  
1.11.   The Aquatic Animals Commis sion continued its update and reformatting of the disease -specific 
chapters of the Aquatic Manual  to ensure the most current guidance is provided to member s. The 
Aquatic Animals Commission circulated three revised (Chapter 2.2.2. Infection with Aphanomyces  
astaci  [crayfish plague]; Chapter 2.2.6. Infection with Macrobrachium rosenbergii  nodavirus [white 
tail disease]; Chapter 2.2.9. Infection with yellow head virus genotype 1) and one new 
(Chapter  2.2.X. Infection with decapod iridescent virus 1 [DIV1]) cru stacean disease -specific 
chapters, and two revised mollusc disease -specific chapters (Chapter 2.4.1. Infection with abalone 
herpesvirus; Chapter 2.4.4. Infection with Marteilia refringens ) for comment. In addition, it 
circulated for comment a mollusc chapt er with amended sections regarding susceptible species 
(Section 2.2.1. and 2.2.2. of Chapter 2.4.5. Infection with Perkinsus marinus ).  
1.12.   All Specialist Commissions also progressed discussions of other work items and updated its 
work programme considering the progress of work and new requests.  
2  WOAH STANDARDS ONLINE NAVIGATION TOOL  
2.1.  WOAH has launched a project aimed at improving how WOAH Standards are displayed and 
made available to members and other users. The project will enhance the display of the Aquatic 
Code, Terrestrial Code , Aquatic Manual , and Terrestrial Manual  on the WOAH we bsite. The project 
will also include a specific tool aimed at providing specific search functions for the visuali sation of 
sanitary measures recommended for the international trade of commodities.  
2.2.  The project is aligned with WOAH's 7th Strategic Plan and will provide significant benefits for 
WOAH members, including enhanced accessibility to WOAH Standards and efficiency in information 
retrieval, supporting the implementation of WOAH Standards. The project will also bring benefits to 
the Organisation itself , by improving the efficiency of internal processes and the interoperability 
across various datasets related to WOAH Standards.  G/SPS/GEN/2161  
 
- 3 - 
 
  3  ANIMAL HEALTH FORUM ON AVIAN INFLUENZA  
3.1.  In light of the ongoing global avian influenza crisis WOAH convened an Animal Health For um 
(AHF) at the 90th WOAH General Session in May 2023 focused on avian influenza. The AHF served 
as a platform for international experts, the private sector and government representatives to engage 
in meaningful discussions about the current challenges and  perspectives for combatting avian 
influenza. WOAH member s adopted Resolution No.28 Strategic challenges in the global control of 
high pathogenicity avian influenza  that will serve as a basis for shaping future avian influenza control 
activities, while protecting wildlife, supporting the poultry industry and the continuity of trade. The 
Resolution notably underscores the importance of members  respecting and implementing WOAH 
international standards to effectively combat avian influenza.  
3.2.  In accordance with the adopted Resolution, the Biological Standards Commission initiated the 
process to review the current Terrestrial Manual chapter on avian influenza for important 
amendments as needed on an immediate basis to ensure the information is up to date with the latest 
science and fit for purpose. The amended chapter will go for one review round and be annexed to 
the February 2024 report for member c omments with the aim of proposing it for adoption in 
May 2024.  
3.3.  A two -year implementation framework (June 2023 – May 2025) was drafted in consultation 
with key WOAH stakeholders to define the activities, outputs and expected outcomes to implement 
the recomm endations of the adopted resolution N o. 28 and ensure alignment with the future GF -TAD 
avian influenza global strategy. The implementation and monitoring of the framework will be 
responsibility of a cross -departments and inter -regional coordination group t hat is being overseen 
by DDG, International Standards and Science.  
3.4.  An OFFLU avian influenza matching (AIM) initiative is underway to provide information on 
antigenic characteristics of circulating avian influenza viruses to facilitate selection of appropri ate 
vaccines for poultry and update of poultry vaccine antigens in places where vaccines are being used.  
3.5.  A new GF -TAD Global strategy on avian influenza is being drafted by a dedicated taskforce 
supported by a group of consultants. The strategy will serve as a guide and coordination framework 
to support regional and national programme s dedicated to the prevention and control of HPAI.  
4  PROVISION OF SCIENTIFIC ADVICE TO WOAH AND ITS MEMBERS  
4.1.  The Director General establishes ad hoc Groups to provide specific technical and scientific 
advice required to support the work of the WOAH and the WOAH Specialist Commissions. WOAH 
publishes information on its website providing the dates and terms of refe rence of proposed ad hoc 
Groups as well as reports once these have been considered by the relevant Specialist Commissions 
and validated.  
4.2.  This information is available on the WOAH website at: ad hoc  Groups information . 
5  WOAH  OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF ANIMAL HEALTH STATUS AND CONTROL 
PROGRAMMES  
5.1.  WOAH member s can apply to be included in  the list of countries with an officially recogni sed 
status for the following six priority diseases: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), foot and 
mouth disease (FMD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), African horse sickness, peste 
des petits ru minants (PPR) and classical swine fever (CSF).  
5.2.  The full list of countries and their recogni sed status for AHS, BSE, CBPP, CSF, FMD, and PPR 
can be accessed  online  the WOAH public website . 
6  SELF -DECLARED DISEASE STATUS  
6.1.  In accordance with the provisions of the  Terrestrial Code  or the  Aquatic Code , WOAH member s 
may wish to self -declare the freedom of their country, zone or compartment from a WOAH listed 
disease. A member  wishing to publish its self -declaration for disease -freedom, should provide the 
relevant documented evidence of compliance with the provisions  of the relevant chapters of the G/SPS/GEN/2161  
 
- 4 - 
 
  Codes . The WOAH screens any applications and considers them for publication in accordance with 
its Standard Operating Procedure .  
6.2.  All published self -declarations are available on the WOAH website at: Self-declared Disease 
Status - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health . 
7  MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION OF WOAH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS – WOAH 
OBSERVATORY  
7.1.  In addition to the first edition  of the Observatory Annual Report published in early 2023, the 
Observatory cond ucts thematic studies focused on priority topics for WOAH members, such as a 
particular disease, standard or topic of interest. The thematic studies collect and use new and 
existing data to provide a detailed understanding of the level of implementation of  one or more 
standards and challenges WOAH members may face when implementing them. This allows WOAH 
to identify the specific needs of members and propose targeted recommendations to meet these.  
7.2.  Given the importance of zoning and compartmentali sation, both  for disease control and trade 
purposes, the first thematic study undertaken by the WOAH Observatory is focused on zoning and 
compartmentali sation. The Observatory conducted a survey in early 2023 to assess the use of zoning 
for three important animal dise ases (avian influenza, African swine fever and foot and mouth 
disease) and the associated benefits or challenges for the Veterinary Services of WOAH member s. 
The data collected is currently being analysed and a report will be published early 2024. A second  
thematic study will be conducted in 2023 and will focus on compartmentali sation for avian influenza.  
8  GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR THE GLOBAL CONTROL OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER  
8.1.  WOAH, in collaboration with FAO under the  Global Framework for the Progressive Control of 
Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF -TADs) launched a joint initiative for the Global Control of African 
Swine Fever (ASF GI) aimed at bringing stakeholders from multiple sectors together to improve 
coordination and galvani se the sustained effort and politica l will needed for the global control of ASF. 
WOAH is also in the process of implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure 
the progress of the ASF GI.  
8.2.  Important activities under the ASF GI include ongoing meetings of the regional Standing Gr oup 
of Experts (SGE) in Africa , Europe  and the Americas  to enhance regional coordination of ASF control 
activities.  
8.3.  Noting the interest and use by countries of candidate vaccines for ASF, under a consultancy 
project, the WOAH has drafted international standards for the development and manufacture of safe 
and effective ASF vaccines which was circulated in the September 2023 meeting report of the 
Biological Standards Commission for comments. WOAH stresses the importance of using only high -
quality vaccines with proven efficacy and safety, which have been subject to regulatory evaluation 
and approval in accordance with WOAH international standards.  
9  ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)  
9.1.  The eighth annual report on antimicrobial agents intended for use in animals was sent to WOAH 
delegates, Focal Points for Veterinary Produ cts and certain experts in May 2023 ; the message sent 
to these stakeholders also contained the access to the first interactive report  of the ANIMUSE data. 
Lead by  the Communication Department, a targeted communication campaign around the 8th annual 
report and its interactive report took place in September 2023 where ten thousand users accessed 
ANIMUSE public portal.  
9.2.  On 6 September 2023, the 9th round of the AMU da ta collection was opened with a deadline for 
December 2023. In parallel the preparation of the eighth annual report on the use of antimicrobials 
intended for use in animals is ongoing and expected to be published by April 2024 with a collaborative 
work wit h the publications unit.  G/SPS/GEN/2161  
 
- 5 - 
 
  9.3.  In October 2023 the Working Group on Antimicrobial Resistance continue with the revision of 
Chapter 6.10 of the Terrestrial Code , two technical documents were published for the list of 
antimicrobial agents for veterinary importance for swine and aquatics; the working documents for 
the list of antimicrobial agents for veterinary importance for bovine, canines and felines are ongoing.  
9.4.  A second pilot phase for the establishment of a global information and alert system on 
substandard & falsified veterinary products started in January 2023. To date, WOAH has received 
data concerning the management of the quality of veterinary products from 42 member participants 
from all geographical regions. Participants have submitted 24 incid ents affecting 54 veterinary 
medicinal products that are assigned as substandard, falsified or unregistered products. Almost half 
of the substandard and falsified veterinary products reported were antimicrobials or antiparasitics. 
Four alerts were validate d by the members reporting the incident and they consent to make these 
alerts available for the rest of participants.  
9.5.  Current data, experience and feedback collected from members enrolled in the pilot phase will 
be used to determine the requirements for a n online fit -for-purpose system that can be deployed at 
the global level. In the mid -time, the rest of the members will be invited to join the system from 
January 2024.  
10  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT  
10.1.   WOAH has been working jointly with INTERPOL and FAO to build natio nal, regional, and 
international capacity in emergency management against all hazards. Initial findings have found that 
many countries do not have access to adequate resources to implement emergency response plans; 
in many countries, cross government emerg ency management mechanisms do not include 
Veterinary Services; what is considered an emergency varies between countries depending on its 
level of development, livestock industry structure and if any export markets. The next phase of this 
project will inclu de the development of an incident management system for WOAH members.  
10.2.   The project culminated with a Global Conference on Emergency Management held in 
April 2023. This conference brought together a diverse group of participants including WOAH 
delegates, em ergency management experts, Law Enforcement, WOAH Collaborating Centres and 
partner organisations. The Conference successfully raised awareness of the diverse spectrum of 
hazards and threats facing the animal health sector and global community. These encom passed 
agro-terrorism, agro -crime, cyberthreats, pandemics and natural disasters as well highlighting good 
practices to apply in emergency management. Conference participants collectively formulated 
strategic calls for action which was presented by WOAH 's Director General at the 90th General 
Session in May 2023. WOAH is leveraging the Conference 's outcomes to guide its future 
programming in emergency management including initiatives related to biological threat reduction. 
This includes activities such as ho rizon scanning, addressing cyberthreats, providing simulation 
exercise training and advocacy for animal health to be integrated into broader emergency 
management frameworks. The conference outcomes and recording can be found at: 
https://www.woah.org/en/event/global -conference -on-emergency -management/ . 
10.3.   The next phase of WOAH 's emergency management programme includes the development of 
an incident management system to support the technical response of WOAH to regional and 
international emergencies enabling it to provide better support to its members. In addition, targeted 
activities are being delivered to support members in Africa to build and strengthen capacity for 
emergency management. This includes training on biosafety/biosecurity, epidemic intelligence, and 
emergency management as well as support to improve veterinary legislation for biological threats.  
__________