G/SPS/GEN/1652  
 
11 October 2018  
(18-6310) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French/Spanish  
 
73RD MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE WORLD ORGANISATIO N FOR ANIMAL HEALTH (OIE)  
The following communication, received on 11 October 2018 , 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 73rd meeting of the SPS Committee.  
1  DEVELOPMENTS IN THE OIE INTERNATIONAL ST ANDARDS FOR TERRESTR IAL AND 
AQUATIC ANIMALS  
1.1.  The four OIE Specialist Commission s met during September 2018 at the OIE Headquarters to 
continue working on the development and review of OIE international standards. The reports of 
these meetings , including draft new and revised standards for comment , will be available on the OIE 
website  during November 2018. The links to th e reports can be accessed below:  
 Biological Standards Commission ; 
 Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases  (Scientific Commission);  
 Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission  (Aquatic A nimals Commission);  
 Terrestrial Animal Health Commission  (Code Commission) . 
1.2.  The OIE would like to highlight to the SPS Committee the ongoing high priority work on the 
revision of the OIE standards related  to the categori zation of official BSE risk status and infection 
with avian influenza viruses.  The work on BSE is to develop revised standards appropriate to the 
current BSE risk.  The revision of Chapter 10.4. Infection with avian influenza viruses is to d evelop a 
revised standard , including a proposed new definition of "poultry" , and to address the issues of the 
different requirements for notification, prevention, control and surveillance associated with LPAI and 
HPAI.  
2  INTERNATIONAL ACTIVI TIES  
2.1  OIE Global C onference on Antimicrobial Resis tance – Marrakesh (Morocco), 
29-31 October 2018  
2.1.  The second OIE Global conference comes at a critical juncture in the fight against antimicrobial 
resistance (AMR). Member countries have demonstrated an impressive commitment t o development 
of national capacity in this effort in line with international standards. To build upon and further inform 
this momentum, this conference will bring together OIE delegates and National Focal Points for 
veterinary products, as well as experts,  professionals, policy makers, international organisations and 
donors, with the aim to increase understanding of the global situation on antimicrobial resistance in 
animals, and to develop recommendations for future sustained control of AMR while ensuring animal 
health, animal welfare, veterinary public health and food security. Particularly, it will provide a forum 
to examine how to best support member  countries in continued fulfilment of the objectives of the 
OIE Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance and t he Prudent Use of Antimicrobials and the Global Action 
Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.  G/SPS/GEN/1652  
 
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  2.2.  The programme, presentations and recommendations from the Conference will be available on 
the OIE website . 
2.2  OIE Global Co nference on Aquatic Animal Health, Santiago (Chile), 2 -4 April 2019  
2.3.  The OIE is working on the preparations for a Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health to be 
held in 2019, possible topic to be included on the programme are:  
 Managing transboundary disea ses including emerging diseases ; 
 Biosecurity;  
 Advances in disease management;  
 Supporting implementation of OIE standards . 
2.4.  Further information on the programme for the Conference will be on the OIE website  in the 
coming  months.  
3  MONITORING THE USE O F INTERNATIONAL STAN DARDS  
3.1.  The OIE continues to encourage member  countries to apply OIE international standards, 
particularly, in light of new information regarding the disease situation of exporting countries. 
Members are remin ded that the Terrestrial Animal Health Code and Aquatic Animal Health Code 
respectively aim to assure the sanitary safety of international trade in terrestrial animals and aquatic 
animals, and their products. These standards, when correctly applied, should  not be used as 
unjustified barriers to trade.  
3.2.  The OIE continues to work with member countries to provide guidance and assistance in respect 
to the implementation of its standards.  
3.3.  Information relating to the OIE’s activities related to the development of the Observatory for 
monitoring the implementation of standards can be found on the OIE website . 
4  CAPACITY BUILDING AC TIVITIES  
4.1.  OIE capacity -building activities also include Semi nars for Recently Appointed OIE Delegates 
and Regional Seminars for the OIE National 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 programme 
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 lev el, 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.  
4.2.  These seminars provide participants with knowledge about the rights, commitments and 
responsibili ties 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 rol es and responsibilities of 
Veterinary Services and other relevant competent authorities, about relevant OIE international 
standards and about the specific tasks expected of National Focal Points in their respective areas. 
These training sessions are also f ora for experience sharing and discussion among countries within 
a region.  
 
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