G/SPS/GEN/2075  
 
21 October  2022 
(22-7942) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French/Spanish  
 
  
84TH MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE WORLD ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL HEALTH ( WOAH ) 
The following communication, received on 21 October  2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
WOAH . 
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The World Organisation for Animal Health ( WOAH, formerly OIE ) is pleased to provide this report for 
the information of WTO Members attending the 84th meeting of the SPS Committee.  
The repo rt summarises key activities from WOAH 's standard -setting work programme, along with 
updates on WOAH capacity building activities.  
1  DEVELOPMENTS IN THE OIE STANDARDS FOR TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ANIMALS  
1.1.  The four OIE Specialist Commission met virtually during  September 2022 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 D iagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, along with other activities relevant 
to each Commission 's terms of reference.  
1.2.  As the outcomes of these meetings were not available at the time this report was compiled a 
verbal update will be provided to the Committee o n key outcomes.  
1.3.  Reports of these four meetings, including new and revised standards circulated for member 
comments, will be available on the WOAH website during November 2022. The links to these reports, 
once available, are provided below:  
− Biological Standards Commission , September 2022 meeting report  
− Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases , September 2022 meeting report  
− Aquat ic Animal Health Standards Commission , September 2022 meeting report  
− Terrestrial Animal Health Commission , September 2022 meeting re port 
1.4.  WOAH would like to highlight to the Committee the following work undertaken during these 
meetings.  
− Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) . The Terrestrial Animal Health Standards 
Commission (Code Commission) in collaboration with the Scientific Commis sion for Animal 
Diseases (Scientific Commission), together with the recommendations from several WOAH 
ad hoc Groups, has undertaken an in -depth review of Chapter 11.4. Bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy of the Terrestrial Code. Amendments include updated pro visions on the 
categorisation of official BSE risk status as well as revised provisions on BSE risk assessment 
and surveillance. At the 89th General Session in May 2022, the President of the Code 
Commission proposed that the proposed revised Chapter 11.4. not be presented for adoption 
given the large number of comments received and that the Code Commission, at its 
September 2022 meeting, would consider comments received. The revised chapter was 
circulated for comments in the Code Commission September 2022 r eport and will be 
proposed for adoption at the 90th General Session in May 2023.  G/SPS/GEN/2075  
 
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  − Foot and mouth disease . The Code Commission, in collaboration with the Scientific 
Commission, progressed the revision of Chapter 8.8. Infection with foot and mouth disease 
virus of the Terrestrial Code. The revised chapter addresses several long -standing issues 
and was circulated for comments in the Code Commission September 2022 report. The 
revised chapter will be proposed for adoption at the 90th General Session in May 2023.  
− Rabies . The Code Commission, in collaboration with the Scientific Commission, revised 
Chapter 8.14. Infection with rabies virus of the Terrestrial Code, to address 
recommendations for the provisions for vaccination, testing and the shipment of animals. 
The revised new Article 8.14.6bis., Article 8.14.7., and the new Article 8.14.11bis. were 
circulated for member comments in the Code Commission September 2022 report and will 
be proposed for adoption at the 90th General Session in May 2023. The corresponding 
Chapter 3.1.18. Rabies (infection with rabies virus and other lyssaviruses) of the Terrestrial 
Manual was also circulated for comments in the Biological Standards Commission September 
2022 report and will be proposed for adoption at the 90th General Sessio n in May 2023.  
− Rift Valley fever . The Code Commission, in collaboration with the Scientific Commission, 
revised Chapter 8.15. Infection with Rift Valley fever virus of the Terrestrial Code to clarify 
the obligations of members to notify when there is an ep idemic of the disease in an endemic 
country or zone and addresses some other issues. The revised chapter was circulated for 
member comments in the Code Commission September 2022 report and will be proposed 
for adoption at the 90th General Session in May 20 23. The corresponding Chapter 3.1.19. 
Rift Valley fever (infection with Rift Valley fever virus) of the Terrestrial Manual was also 
circulated for comments in the Biological Standards Commission September 2022 report and 
will be proposed for adoption at th e 90th General Session in May 2023.  
− Equine diseases . The Code Commission, in collaboration with the Scientific Commission 
and the Biological Standards Commission, revised Chapter 12.2. Contagious equine metritis, 
Chapter 12.6. Infection with equine influen za virus and Chapter 12.7. Equine piroplasmosis 
of the Terrestrial Code. The revised chapters were circulated for member comments in the 
Code Commission September 2022 report and will be proposed for adoption at the 90th 
General Session in May 2023.  
− Respon sible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine . 
The Code Commission considered the revised Chapter 6.10. Responsible and prudent use of 
antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine of the Terrestrial Code drafted by the WOAH 
Working Gr oup on Antimicrobial Resistance and made a few additional amendments. 
The revised chapter was circulated for member comments in the Code Commission 
September 2022 report.  
− Assessment of susceptible species to infection with an OIE listed aquatic animal 
disease. The  Aquatic Animals Commission continued its work to review the susceptible 
species for OIE listed aquatic animal diseases by applying the criteria for susceptibility in 
accordance with Chapter 1.5. of the Aquatic Code. The Commission reviewed the 
assessments for susceptible species to infection with spring viraemia of carp virus and 
infection with Marteilia refringens  and circulated the revised Articles X.X.2 for member 
comments in its September 2022 report.  
− Aquatic Animals Commission work plan . The Aquatic Animals Commission agreed to 
develop four new chapters for the Aquatic Code: Chapter 4.X. Emergency disease 
preparedness, Chapter 4.Y. Disease outbreak management, Chapter 5.X. Trade in 
ornamental aquatic animals and 5.Y. Trade in genetic mater ials; as well as the revision of 
Chapter 4.3. Application of Compartmentalisation.  
− Aquatic Manual . The Aquatic Animals Commission continued its update and reformatting 
of the disease -specific chapters to ensure the most current guidance is provided to memb ers. 
The Aquatic Animals Commission circulated seven revised crustacean disease -specific 
chapters, two revised fish disease -specific chapters, and one revised mollusc disease -specific 
chapters for member comments in its September 2022 report. In addition, it circulated for 
comment a fish and mollusc chapter with amended sections regarding susceptible species.  
2  PROVISION OF SCIENTIFIC ADVICE TO WOAH AND ITS MEMBERS  
2.1.  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 reference of proposed ad hoc 
Groups as well as reports once these have been considered by the relev ant Specialist Commissions 
and validated.  G/SPS/GEN/2075  
 
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  2.2.  This information is available on the WOAH website at: ad hoc Group s information . 
3  SELF -DECLARED DISEASE STATUS  
3.1.  In accordance with the provisions of the Terrestrial Code or the Aquatic Code, WOAH members 
may wish to self -declare the freedom of their country, zone or compartment from an OIE 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 
Codes. The WOAH screens any applications and considers them for publication in accordance  with 
its Standard Operating Procedure . 
3.2.  All published self -declarations are available on the WOAH website at: Self-declared Disease 
Status - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health . 
4  WOAH OBSERVATORY  
4.1.  Building on the work carried out during the pilot phase, the WOAH Observatory will publish its 
first Annual report in Dec 2022. The report will present a general overview of the level of 
implementation of some of the WOAH International Standards and provide recommendations to 
WOAH members and, internally, to various departments of the Organisation. The report will also 
include: (i) Executive summaries corresponding to each section of the report; and (ii) Dashboards 
that provide interactive access to information.  
4.2.  The Observatory wished to highlight that it has used information submitted through WTO 
mechanisms to develop the following indicators: the number of WTO notifications having an effect 
on trade that involve animal diseases; and the number of animal health -related disputes raised 
through the WTO.  
5  ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR)  
5.1.  Following the adoption of Resolution 14 "OIE's engag ement in the One Health Global Effort to 
Control Antimicrobial Resistance" by the World Assembly of WOAH Delegates in May 2019, a Working 
Group on AMR was established to support the implementation of the OIE Global Strategy on AMR. 
The Working Group has me t seven times, the 7th meeting in October 2022. All meeting reports are 
available at: Working Group  on Antimicrobial Resistance - OIE - World Organisation for Animal 
Health . 
5.2.  Major outputs of the Working Group have been the publication of the "Technical Reference 
Document Listing Antimicrobial Agents of Veterinary Importance for Swine", and the "Technica l 
Reference Document Listing Antimicrobial Agents of Veterinary Importance for aquatic animals" both 
to complement the OIE List of Antimicrobial Agents of Veterinary Importance. Both documents are 
available as appendices of the October 2022 meeting report.  Using the same methodology, the 
Working Group will soon start work on the development a Technical Reference Document for cattle, 
and dogs and cats.  
5.3.  The ANIMUSE Global Database , the new WOAH datab ase on antimicrobials intended for use in 
animals was launched in September 2022. This is an interactive automated database that allows 
countries to have ownership of their data to report, consult, analyse and communicate to national 
stakeholders on AMU da ta, while having confidential access to the centralised IT system. Customised 
to respond to WOAH Members' needs, it enables calculation of antimicrobial quantities, adjusting 
antimicrobial use by animal biomass (mg/kg). The system allows access to dashboar ds available for 
both the public and within the confidential country portals.  
6  GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR THE GLOBAL CONTROL OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER  
6.1.  In July 2020, the OIE, in collaboration with FAO under the Global Framework for the Progressive 
Control of Transbo undary Animal Diseases (GF -TADs) launched a joint initiative for the Global 
Control of African Swine Fever (ASF GI), which aimed at bringing stakeholders from multiple sectors 
together to improve coordination and galvanise the sustained effort and politica l will needed for the 
global control of ASF.  G/SPS/GEN/2075  
 
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  6.2.  Important activities under the ASF GI include ongoing meetings of the regional Standing Group 
of Experts (SGE) in Europe  and the Americas , and the launch of the Standing Group of Experts on 
ASF for Africa in March 2022 to enhance regional coordination of AS F control activities. A regional 
expert meeting on ASF in Asia and the Pacific was also organised by the WOAH in March 2022 where 
regional members presented their ASF situation.  
6.3.  In response to the outbreak of ASF in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, a seri es of activities 
have been held in the Americas to support activities in response to the outbreak of ASF, including 
the adoption of the Regional Framework for the containment and prevention of African swine fever 
(ASF) spread in the Americas , delivery of surveys on needs and capacities of countries regarding 
diagnosis of ASF, and training programmes. In addition, there is ongoing collabora tion with partners 
in the region to deliver webinars on themes such as emergency preparedness, compensation and 
legislation.  
6.4.  The WOAH is also working with its partners to facilitate the development of internationally 
acceptable guidelines for the manufactu ring and development of safe and effective ASF vaccines, 
and support the establishment of a genomic platform to share information on the genetics of 
circulating epidemic strains of ASFv.  
6.5.  The second Annual report of the ASF GI for 2021 highlighting progres s and is available at: 
Resources (gf -tads.org) . 
7  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT  
7.1.  WOAH has been working jointly with INTERPOL and FAO to build national, regional, and 
international capacity in emergency management ag ainst 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 emergency 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 include the development of an incident management system for WOAH members . 
7.2.  WOAH, together with INTERPOL and FAO will convene a Global Conference on Emergency 
Management in April 2023.  
8  THE PERFORMANCE OF VETERINARY SERVICES PATHWAY (PVS PATHWAY) FOR THE 
SUSTAINABLE  IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL VETERINARY SERVICES  
8.1.  WOAH is in the proce ss of digitisation of the PVS Pathway to offer greater flexibility and 
efficiency in terms of delivery. Presential missions with a virtual preparation phase are 
recommencing after the challenges posed during the COVID -19 pandemic. Regarding the different 
phases of the PVS Pathway : 
− PVS Evaluation : A pilot using a blended format for PVS Evaluation and Follow -up missions is 
being tested, involving a presential mission by PVS experts working together with experts 
participating remotely.  
− PVS Self -Evaluation Supp ort Programme : A new four -step programme has been developed 
to assist members in conducting PVS self -evaluation missions that is aligned with an 
independent PVS Evaluation.  
− PVS Gap Analysis : A remote PVS Gap Analysis mission methodology was tested, 
incorpo rating a greater focus on national priorities, training of national Veterinary Services, 
and facilitating more active inputs from the country. Missions took place in Kazakhstan in 
2021 and Kenya in 2022.  
− Targeted Support : PVS Sustainable Laboratories Suppo rt missions were conducted in 
Nigeria, Sierra Leone, UAE and Cambodia during 2022 and PVS Veterinary Legislation 
Support Programme Identification missions were successfully delivered in remote and 
blended formats in Mali and Pakistan during 2022.  G/SPS/GEN/2075  
 
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  9  WOAH TRAI NING PLATFORM: VETERINARY SERVICES COMPETENCIES FOR TRADE  
9.1.  As part of the reform of its training system initiated in 2018, WOAH is developing its 
Competency -based Training Framework  structured around 16 Competency Packages that form the 
architecture of WOAH 's future training programmes, both for distance and face -to-face delivery.  
9.2.  The objective of this Framework is to support the implementation of WOAH standards by 
Veterinary Services wor ldwide. A Competence Package will be dedicated to trade and will be 
populated with approximatively 30 e -modules, to address international and national trade 
frameworks, animal health status and regionalisation, export and import measures and control and 
import risk analysis.  
9.3.  Guidelines on the production of e -modules  has been published on the WOAH Training Portal 
and guidelines on learning needs  assessments are under development and will assist members to 
conduct their own learning needs assessment, in particular on aspects of trade.  
9.4.  Since 2019, newly appointed Delegates and Focal Points have access to an e -training package 
on their rights and re sponsibilities of a WOAH member , the WOAH mandate, mission and main 
activities, WOAH International Standards and the standard -setting process, and on the quality of 
Veterinary Services. These training packages will be soon be complemented by e -modules on 
Veterinary Services leadership including case studies that illustrate leadership during trade 
negotiations.  
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