WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/830 
27 March 2008 
 
 (08-1343) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English/ 
 French/  Spanish 
 
  
CAPACITY-BUILDING TOOLS AND ACTIVITIES 
 
Communication from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE
) 
 
  The following communication, received on 19 Marc h 2008, is being circulated at the request 
of the OIE.  
_______________ 
 
 1. The OIE is pleased to provide this update on its capacity-building tools and activities for 
information of WTO Members at the 41
st meeting of the SPS Committee. 
1. OIE objectives 
 
2. As established in the 4th Strategic Plan (2006-2010) of the OIE, objectives are to: 
• Ensure transparency in the global animal disease situation; 
 
• collect, analyse and disseminate veterinary  scientific information regarding methods 
of animal disease control; 
 
• encourage international solidarity in  the control of animal diseases; 
 
• safeguard world trade by publishing hea lth standards for international trade in 
animals and animal products; 
 
• improve the legal framework and resources of national Veterinary Services;  and 
 
• to provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin at the production 
level and to promote animal welfare through a science-based approach. 
 
2. Capacity-building activities of the OIE 
 
3. Recognizing that more than two thirds of the OIE's 172 Members are developing or least 
developed countries, the OIE places great emph asis on capacity-building to help its Members 
implement the standards established by the OIE.  In the interest of undertaking effective 
capacity-building activities, the OIE collaborates clo sely with other international organizations and 
donors, including within the WTO STDF framework.  Dr Bernard Vallat, Director-General of the 
OIE, represented by Dr Alejandro Thiermann, President of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission, is a permanent member of  the STDF Policy Committee and Dr Sarah Kahn, 
Director of the OIE International Trade Depa rtment, chairs the STDF Working Group in 2008. G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  4. The OIE, in support of its system to officially recognize country and zone freedom from 
certain diseases, evaluates the application of OI E standards for surveillance and disease control to 
obtain and maintain disease freedom.  For example, in 2006-2007 the OIE deployed two expert missions to South American countries to assess their methods for control of foot and mouth disease in accordance with OIE standards. 
5. The OIE Members are grouped in five regions i. e. Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, Far 
East and Oceania, and the Middle East.  The OIE maintains five permanent regional representations 
(located in Argentina, Bulgaria, Japan, Lebanon  and Mali) and four s ubregional representations 
(located in Belgium, Botswana, Pa nama and Thailand).  Under the 4
th Strategic Plan the OIE intends 
to expand the number of subregional representations. 
6. One of the goals of the OIE's regional and subr egional representations is to provide regionally 
adapted services to OIE Members to help them st rengthen the surveillance and control of animal 
diseases in the regions.  Capacity-building activities are an essential priori ty of the OIE regional 
representations' work. 
7. The OIE's general capacity-building activities include conferences a nd workshops conducted 
for its Members at the regional, global and sometim es at the national level.  The relevant activities 
carried out by the OIE in 2007 are shown in Attachment 1. 
3. Key elements of an effective capacity-building tool 
 
8. Based on its considerable experience in helpin g its Members to improve core capacities, the 
OIE has identified several key features of success ful capacity-building tools.  These features are 
presented in no particular order;  a ll are considered to be important. 
• Objectives of the capacity-building activity, including definition of the desired 
capacities and levels of performance are clearly defined. 
 
• There are clear and transparent linkages with relevant international standards, such as 
those set out in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code . 
 
• The rationale for the capacity-building activity is presented in a manner that is 
transparent and meaningful to donors and countries. 
 
• A prior relationship of trust and mutual c onfidence is established between the country 
receiving and the organization provi ding the relevant assistance. 
 
• There is access to appropriate internationa lly recognized expertise in the relevant 
subject material at all stages in the capacity-building process. 
 
• Assistance is provided in a manner that w ill lead to sustainable improvement of 
capacity over time, including providing r ecipients with the means to continue 
improving capacity. 
 
• A consistent and predictable methodology is used, so that countries receiving 
assistance know exactly what to expect of the process. 
 
• The organization providing assistance makes provision to receive feedback from the 
country(ies) receiving assistance, supporting refinement of the capacity-building tool 
in the light of experience with its use.  G/SPS/GEN/830 
 Page 3 
 
 
   
• Organizations involved in related capac ity-building activities collaborate, share 
experiences and learn from one another. 
 
• Assistance is delivered by experts with s ound experience in the subject(s) relevant to 
the capacity-building activity.  These experts, to be trained in the use of the relevant 
tool, are formally selected.  After training they are certified and their performance is 
monitored and additional training provided if judged necessary. 
 
• There is ongoing collaboration between inte rnational donor organizations, providers 
and recipients of assistance, to ensure than objectives are shared and expectations 
satisfied (to the maximum extent possible). 
 
• There is flexibility in the design and application of the capacity-building tool, so that 
it can be used with modifications from time to time as appropriate to the conditions 
and environments in countries receiving assistance. 
 
• The capacity-building tool is periodically reviewed in the light of broad experience. 
 
• There is professional and financial accountability in the application of 
capacity-building tools, to build confidence on the part of all involved in their use. 
 
• Capacities are addressed in a holistic ma nner – taking account of the roles and 
responsibilities of the public and private sectors and stakeholders. 
 
• There is ongoing involvement of headquarters executives in all capacity-building 
programmes. 
 
9. The OIE has taken practical steps to incor porate these elements into the design and 
application of its capacity-building activ ities, as the following examples illustrate. 
4. OIE PVS Tool  
 
10. One of the OIE's most important capacity-build ing activities is the Program for the Evaluation 
of Performance of Veterinary Services (OIE PV S) based upon the country's compliance with 
international standards adopted democratically by  the OIE General Assembly and recognized by the 
WTO, and the use of the OIE PVS Tool  according to established procedures. 
11. The OIE PVS Tool  was initially developed in collabora tion with the Inter-American Institute 
for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), building on these organizations' experiences in working to 
strengthen the capacities of OIE Members – globally, in the case of the OIE and in the Americas, in 
the case of IICA – thanks to an STDF project.  IICA's emphasis on the partnership between 
government and stakeholders was refined by the OIE, which placed emphasis on the need for the 
Veterinary Services (comprising bot h government and private sector ve terinarians) to meet the quality 
standards set out in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code) . 
12. The relevance of these standards for Veterinary Services in regards to improving animal 
health and the capacity to participate in intern ational trade and disease control globally was well 
established.  OIE Members had adopted the relevant texts, i.e. Terrestrial Code  Chapters 1.3.3. and 
1.3.4. in 1998 and 2002, respectively, based on the democratic and transparent standard-setting 
procedures of the OIE. G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  13. The OIE has continued to refine the PVS Tool  with the release of a revised edition, in 2008, 
based on the work of an ad hoc Group on the Evaluation of Veterinary Services, which was 
established in 1991.  The experts participating in th is ad hoc Group, including an FAO expert, were 
selected for their sound experience in the delivery of  Veterinary Services in developing countries. 
14. To ensure consistency and efficiency in the approach to PVS evaluations, the OIE selects, 
trains, and certifies experts to carry out PVS eval uations and only those experts certified by the OIE 
can carry out an official OIE PVS evaluation.  The OIE carried out PVS training sessions in May and 
July 2006, February 2007 and February 2008.  Th e OIE periodically holds seminars of experienced 
PVS Assessors to share experiences and provide f eedback so that the OIE can refine the PVS 
procedures and update the OIE PVS Tool .  A seminar of this type took place in November 2007. 
15. The OIE has collaborated with other international organizations in the training of experts.  For 
example, 13 FAO experts have been trained in the use of the OIE PVS Tool  and 4 FAO experts have 
participated in official PVS evaluations of OIE Members. 
16. The OIE has developed the PVS procedures with a view to building relationships of mutual 
trust and confidence with OIE Members undergoing a PVS evaluation.  An OIE Member considering 
an evaluation has several opportunities for collaborati on in the process.  The interaction between the 
Member and the OIE has to take place via the National Delegate designated by the national government.  After requesting the PVS evaluation, the OIE submits to the Delegate the names of 
experts (normally three in number) who will undertak e the procedure.  The experts travel to the 
country and hold meetings with the National Delegate and other representatives of central 
government, the veterinary services a nd stakeholders.  After an internal  peer review of the draft report 
of the PVS evaluation, the draft report is provided to  the Delegate for review before finalization.  
Finally, the PVS report is held in confidence be tween the OIE and the Member evaluated until such 
time as the Delegate approves its release, which may be  on an unrestricted or restricted basis (e.g. to 
OIE partners or to donors organizations only).  Th e OIE requires that all certified experts sign an 
undertaking to respect the confidentiality of all mate rials and information obtained in the course of a 
PVS evaluation. 
17. Consistency in approach by experts is fu rther strengthened by the provision of the Manual for 
PVS Assessors (Manual)  as an adjunct to the OIE PVS Tool .  The Manual , which is currently being 
updated to reflect the 2007 revision of the PVS Tool , is produced by the École nationale des Services 
veterinaries (ENSV), which is an OIE Collaborating Centre for Training of Official Veterinarians. 
18. The OIE has taken several steps to make th e PVS procedures transparent and to raise 
awareness of its Members.  The OIE PVS Tool  (without indicators) may be downloaded, free of 
charge from:  http://www.oie.int/eng/ oie/organisation/EN _update2007_p vs_out.pdf
. 
19. The OIE also releases the reports of the ad  hoc Group on the Evaluation of Veterinary 
Services, which may be found with the reports of the Terrestrial Animal Health Standards 
Commission at:  http://www.oie.int/tahsc/eng/en_tahsc.htm . 
20. The OIE is also preparing Guidelines for Members considering or requesting a PVS 
evaluation , which will be provided to National Delegat es at the OIE General Session in May 2008. 
21. The OIE has not, as yet, released the PVS Tool with indicators  to the general public, as it is 
necessary to stabilize the (currently provisional) performance indicators before taking this step.  It is 
hoped to place this document in th e public domain early in 2009.  G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  5. Status of OIE Global PVS Programme 
 
22. Working in collaboration with major internati onal donors, at OIE Members' request the OIE 
will undertake PVS evaluations of 105 countries in a three-year period.  PVS Evaluations have been 
completed or are ongoing in 50 OIE Members, 15 of wh ich have agreed to the conditional release of 
the relevant PVS report. 
23. Information on the OIE PVS procedures and the Tool may be viewed at:   
http://www.oie.int/eng/oie/organisation/en_vet_evaluators.htm?e1d2 . 
24. Steps to be carried out as the follow up to a PVS Evaluation include: 
• PVS Gap Analysis (a pilot project is under way); 
 
• the preparation of investment programmes in close cooperation with national policy 
makers, donors and other partner organizations; 
 
• PVS follow-up missions; 
 
• national workshops involving policy makers, se nior veterinary officials (central and 
provincial/district) and private sector (p roducers, veterinarians, etc.);  and 
 
• regional workshops for raising awareness and training OIE Delegates and focal 
points. 
 
6. OIE Laboratory Twinning Programme  
 
25. Laboratory twinning involves creating and suppor ting links that facilitate the creation of a 
partnership for the exchange of scientific and t echnical knowledge, ideas and experience.  The goal is 
to improve laboratory capacity and expertise in de veloping and in-transition countries and to enlarge 
the network of 200 Reference Laboratories an d Collaborating Centres currently present in 
30 countries, most of which are developed countries.   Each twinning project is a partnership between 
an OIE Reference Laboratory already approved by the OIE General Assembly (or an OIE Collaborating Centre demonstrating specific laboratory expertise to OIE standards) and a 
candidate laboratory.  The Reference Laboratory or Collaborating Centre directly provides the 
candidate laboratory with technical support, guidance and training.  (See Attachment 2.) 
26. It is essential that veterinary scientific comm unities in developing countries are strengthened 
so that they can participate fully in discussing a nd adopting OIE standards.  In this respect, the 
OIE twinning programme should help to create a mo re level playing field by improving expertise in 
developing countries.  Twinning is also integral to the wider OIE initiative to improve the capacity of 
veterinary services in developing countries. 
27. Although the ultimate aim is for candidate la boratories to reach OIE Reference Laboratory 
status, it is acknowledged that this will be beyond the scope of some projects.  In such cases, twinning 
will bring the candidate closer to OIE Reference status by improving standards in specific selected 
areas. 
28. The benefits from the twinning project should be sustainable and remain long after the project 
has closed, leading to further development of expertise in the region. 
29. To date, the OIE has received 30 proposals;  three projects have been approved and one 
initiated.  For example, a twinning project is unde rway for avian influenza and Newcastle disease, G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  involving the OIE Reference Laboratory in Padova, Italy, and the national Reference Laboratory for 
avian influenza and Newcastle disease in Vladimir, Ru ssia.  The remaining proposals have either been 
approved "in principle" or are in the process of be ing approved.  Relevant information may be found 
in Attachment 2. 
7. Other relevant OIE projects and activities 
 
30. The OIE has launched a separate but related project to  develop "Model Veterinary Legislation 
for Veterinary Services", for use by developing countries. 
8. World Animal Health and Welfare Fund 
 31. The OIE's capacity-building activities are finan ced from the OIE World Animal Health and 
Welfare Fund ("the World Fund").  The OIE created the World Fund on 28 May 2004, by Resolution No. XVII of the OIE International Commi ttee (General Assembly of representatives of the 
now 172 Members).  The Fund was established "for the purpose of projects of international public 
utility relating to the control of animal diseases, including those affecting humans and the promotion 
of animal welfare and animal production food safety" , which includes programmes for the early 
detection and global control of avian influenza a nd other highly pathogenic emerging and re-emerging 
infectious diseases. 
32. The purpose of the Fund is to support:  (i) implementation of action programmes;  
(ii) implementation of training programmes;  (iii) organization of seminars, conferences and 
workshops;  (iv) editing and distribution of scientif ic and technical publications;  (v) production of 
information media;  (vi) implementation of basic and applied scientific research programmes;  
(vi) OIE Strategic Plans approved by the Member  countries;  and (vii) activities of developing 
countries in the aforementioned fields.  G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  ATTACHMENT 1 
 
 
Project/Activiy Beneficiary country/countries Date Date start Date end
Workshop PVS Middle East countries 14/01/2007 - 16/01/2007 14/01/2007 16/01/2007
2nd OIE/FAO=APHCA/NIAH-Japan 
Regional Hands-on Training Workshop 
on BSEAsian-Pacific countries 15/01/2007 - 22/01/2007 15/01/2007 22/01/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Kyrgyzstan 15/01/2007 - 30/01/2007 15/01/2007 30/01/2007
6th Workshop FMD Eastern Asian countries 22/01/2007 - 24/01/2007 22/01/2007 24/01/2007
OIE Collaboration meeting Asian-Pacific countries 23/01/2007 - 24/01/2007 23/01/2007 24/01/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Djibouti 12/02/2007 - 19/02/2007 12/02/2007 19/02/2007OIE Training Workshop Epidemiology Asian-Pacific countries 19/02/2007 - 23/02/2007 19/02/2007 23/02/20072nd OIE/FAO/ASEAN-ADB Regional 
Workshop on HPAIAsian-Pacific countries 27/02/2007 - 02/03/2007 27/02/2007 02/03/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Costa Rica 01/03/2007 - 15/03/2007 01/03/2007 15/03/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Yemen 09/03/2007 - 24/03/2007 09/03/2007 24/03/200713th Meeting OIE Sub-commission 
FMD ControlSoutheast Asian countries 12/03/2007 - 16/03/2007 12/03/2007 16/03/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Brazil 17/03/2007 - 04/04/2007 17/03/2007 04/04/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Laos 18/03/2007 - 31/03/2007 18/03/2007 31/03/2007PVS Training Exercise Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Croatia, 
Serbia  19/03/2007 - 21/03/2007 19/03/2007 21/03/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Mexico 19/03/2007 - 31/03/2007 19/03/2007 31/03/2007
OIE/NIAH/DLD-Thailand Regional 
Workshop for Laborator StaffAsian-Pacific countries 26/03/2007 - 30/03/2007 26/03/2007 30/03/2007
Comité Pilotage Transboundary Animal 
DiseasesAfrican countries 27/03/2007 - 30/03/2007 27/03/2007 30/03/2007
OIE WAHIS Workshop Middle East countries 27/03/2007 - 29/03/2007 27/03/2007 29/03/2007OIE Training Workshop Epidemiology Asian-Pacific countries 30/03/2007 - 04/05/2007 30/03/2007 04/05/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Ukraine 02/04/2007 - 14/04/2007 02/04/2007 14/04/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Colombia 09/04/2007 - 25/04/2007 09/04/2007 25/04/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Benin 10/04/2007 - 25/04/2007 10/04/2007 25/04/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Kenya 10/04/2007 - 27/04/2007 10/04/2007 27/04/2007OIE Capacity Building Projects 2007
 
 Steering Committee Transboundary 
Animal Diseases Project/Activity OIE Capacity-Building Projects 2007 
OIE/NIAH/DLD-Thailand Regional 
Workshops for Laboratory Staff G/SPS/GEN/830 
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Project/Activiy Beneficiary country/countries Date Date start Date end
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Panama 15/04/2007 - 30/04/2007 15/04/2007 30/04/2007
Training Session PVS Moldova 16/04/2007 - 17/04/2007 16/04/2007 17/04/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Algeria 16/04/2007 - 28/04/2007 16/04/2007 28/04/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Mongolia 16/04/2007 - 28/04/2007 16/04/2007 28/04/2007Compensation Mechanisms 
Zoosanitary Emergencies MeetingSouth-and Central American 
countries24/04/2007 - 27/04/2007 24/04/2007 27/04/2007
OIE Regional Commission for Africa African countries 25/04/2007 - 28/04/2008 25/04/2007 28/04/2008
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Indonesia 30/04/2007 - 19/05/2007 30/04/2007 19/05/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Armenia 30/04/2007 - 15/05/2007 30/04/2007 15/05/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Guinea 01/05/2007 - 15/05/2007 01/05/2007 15/05/2007Workshop AI Emergency Control Middle East countries 06/05/2007 - 08/05/2007 06/05/2007 08/05/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Egypt 07/05/2007 - 19/05/2007 07/05/2007 19/05/2007
Conference Elimanation Rabies in 
EurasiaEuropean/Asian countries 27/05/2007 - 30/05/2007 27/05/2007 30/05/2007
2nd Meeting MTM Epidemiology 
NetworkAsian-Pacific countries 04/06/2007 - 04/06/2007 04/06/2007 04/06/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Turkey 04/06/2007 - 22/06/2007 04/06/2007 22/06/2007OIE/FAO/EC Mission ASF Georgia Georgia 11/06/2007 - 14/06/2007 11/06/2007 14/06/2007OIE Training Workshop Epidemiology Asian-Pacific countries 11/06/2007 - 15/06/2007 11/06/2007 15/06/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Tunisia 11/06/2007 - 23/06/2007 11/06/2007 23/06/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Lesotho 11/06/2007 - 23/06/2007 11/06/2007 23/06/2007Atelier Fièvre de la Vallée du Rift Countries in the Horn of Africa and 
Middle East countries13/06/2007 - 15/06/2007 13/06/2007 15/06/2007
OIE Training Workshop Epidemiology Asian-Pacific countries 18/06/2007 - 22/06/2007 18/06/2007 22/06/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Madagascar 18/06/2007 - 02/07/2007 18/06/2007 02/07/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Malawi 18/06/2007 - 30/06/2007 18/06/2007 30/06/2007
Inter-American Committee Avian 
HealthSouth-and Central American 
countries19/06/2007 - 21/06/2007 19/06/2007 21/06/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Cambodia 19/06/2007 - 03/07/2007 19/06/2007 03/07/2007OIE/FAO/FMD Reference Laboratories 
Network Meeting SADC countries 20/06/2007 - 21/06/2007 20/06/2007 21/06/2007
 
 
 Rift Valley Fever Workshop Project/Activity Project/Activity  G/SPS/GEN/830 
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Project/Activiy Beneficiary country/countries Date Date start Date end
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Uzbekistan 20/06/2007 - 04/07/2007 20/06/2007 04/07/2007
Training Session PVS Ukraine 24/06/2007 - 24/06/2007 24/06/2007 24/06/2007
Training Session PVS Russian Federation 26/06/2007 - 27/06/2007 26/06/2007 27/06/2007Training Session PVS Belarus 28/06/2007 - 29/06/2007 28/06/2007 29/06/2007OIE/FAO-APHCA Workshop Animal 
Identification and TraceabilitySouth- and Central American 
countries02/07/2007 - 07/07/2007 02/07/2007 07/07/2007
OIE/FAO-APHCA Regional Workshop 
Animal Identification and TraceabilityAsian-Pacific countries 02/07/2007 - 04/07/2007 02/07/2007 04/07/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Morocco 09/07/2007 - 21/07/2007 09/07/2007 21/07/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Gabon 16/07/2007 - 28/07/2007 16/07/2007 28/07/20072nd Meeting OIE/FAO Steering 
Committee GFTAD'sAsian-Pacific countries 18/07/2007 - 19/07/2007 18/07/2007 19/07/2007
OIE/FAO Regional Workshp Train the 
Trainers on HPAIAsian-Pacific countries 23/07/2007 - 24/07/2007 23/07/2007 24/07/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Kazakhstan 23/07/2007 - 04/08/2007 23/07/2007 04/08/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services RD Congo 23/07/2007 - 05/08/2007 23/07/2007 05/08/2007OIE/FAO-APHCA Regional Workshop 
on SurveillanceAsian-Pacific countries 25/07/2007 - 28/07/2007 25/07/2007 28/07/2007
Follow-up Meeting ASF Georgia Georgia 26/07/2007 - 26/07/2007 26/07/2007 26/07/2007
OIE/FAO-APHCA Regional Workshop 
on WTO-SPSAsian-Pacific countries 30/07/2007 - 02/08/2007 30/07/2007 02/08/2007
Seminar Control Hamonisation 
Veterinary DrugsSouth- and Central American 
countries07/08/2007 - 10/08/2007 07/08/2007 10/08/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Uganda 14/08/2007 - 28/08/2007 14/08/2007 28/08/2007Atelier IAHP African countries 15/08/2007 - 17/08/2007 15/08/2007 17/08/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Nigeria 20/08/2007 - 05/09/2007 20/08/2007 05/09/2007
Atelier IAHP African countries 23/08/2007 - 29/08/2007 23/08/2007 29/08/2007
Première Réunion du Comité 
Vétérinaire de l'UEMOABénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Guinée Bissau, Mali, Sénégal, Togo27/08/2007 - 29/08/2007 27/08/2007 29/08/2007
3rd OIE/FAO/ASEAN-ADB Joint 
Workshop on HPAIAsian-Pacific countries 28/08/2007 - 30/08/2007 28/08/2007 30/08/2007
Interagency Meeting Transboundary 
Animal Diseases American countries 30/08/2007 - 31/08/2007 30/08/2007 31/08/2007
 HPAI Workshop 
HPAI Workshop 
First Meeting of the WAEMU 
Veterinary Committee Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Togo Project/Activity 
OIE/FAO Regional Workshop Train the Trainers on HPAI 
Seminar Control Harmonization Veterinary Drugs G/SPS/GEN/830 
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Project/Activiy Beneficiary country/countries Date Date start Date end
Atelier de Travail UEMOA / CRSA Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Guinée Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sénégal, Togo30/08/2007 - 30/08/2007 30/08/2007 30/08/2007
Atelier IAHP African countries 03/09/2007 - 07/09/2007 03/09/2007 07/09/2007
Workshop on BSE Status Middle East countries 03/09/2007 - 04/09/2007 03/09/2007 04/09/2007
Steering Ctee Transboundary Animal 
DiseasesMiddle East countries 04/09/2007 - 04/09/2007 04/09/2007 04/09/2007
Roundtable FMD Surveillance Middle East countries 05/09/2007 - 06/09/2007 05/09/2007 06/09/2007OIE/FAO/EC Mission ASF Armenia Armenia 10/09/2007 - 21/09/2007 10/09/2007 21/09/2007OIE National Trainers' Training Course Myanmar 11/09/2007 - 13/09/2007 11/09/2007 13/09/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Swaziland 11/09/2007 - 25/09/2007 11/09/2007 25/09/2007Atelier Technique ALIVE African countries 17/09/2007 - 18/09/2007 17/09/2007 18/09/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Burundi 17/09/2007 - 29/09/2007 17/09/2007 29/09/2007
OIE Reg. Workshop on Animal Health 
Information SystemsAsian-Pacific countries 18/09/2007 - 20/09/2007 18/09/2007 20/09/2007
Assemblée Générale ALIVE African countries 20/09/2007 - 20/09/2007 20/09/2007 20/09/2007OIE National Trainers' Training Course Cambodia 01/10/2007 - 05/10/2007 01/10/2007 05/10/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Uruguay 01/10/2007 - 12/10/2007 01/10/2007 12/10/2007Training Session PVS Kazakhstan 02/10/2007 - 02/10/2007 02/10/2007 02/10/2007
Advanced Workshop on OIE World 
Animal Health Information System & 
World Animal Health Information DatabaseSouth- and Central American 
countries02/10/2007 - 05/10/2007 02/10/2007 05/10/2007
Training Session PVS Kyrgyzstan 04/10/2007 - 05/10/2007 04/10/2007 05/10/2007
Reg. SEAFMD Private Sector 
Consultation MeetingCambodia, Laos, Myanmar, 
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam08/10/2007 - 08/10/2007 08/10/2007 08/10/2007
OIE National Trainers' Training Course Laos 09/10/2007 - 11/10/2007 09/10/2007 11/10/2007
OIE National Trainers' Training Course Vietnam 15/10/2007 - 17/10/2007 15/10/2007 17/10/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Togo 15/10/2007 - 30/10/2007 15/10/2007 30/10/2007Conference Classical Swine Fever Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, FYR 
Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia17/10/2007 - 18/10/2007 17/10/2007 18/10/2007
OIE National Trainers' Training Course Vietnam 22/10/2007 - 24/10/2007 22/10/2007 24/10/2007
 
 Project/Activity 
WAEMU/CRSA Workshop Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, 
Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo 
HPAI Workshop 
ALive Technical Workshop 
ALive General Assembly  G/SPS/GEN/830 
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Project/Activiy Beneficiary country/countries Date Date start Date end
OIE/FAO-APHCA Reg. Workshop on 
Food SafetyAsian-Pacific countries 22/10/2007 - 24/10/2007 22/10/2007 24/10/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Oman 22/10/2007 - 03/11/2007 22/10/2007 03/11/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Fiji 22/10/2007 - 02/11/2007 22/10/2007 02/11/2007On-the-job Traing Diagnosis HPAI Asian-Pacific countries 23/10/2007 - 30/10/2007 23/10/2007 30/10/2007Atelier IAHP African countries 24/10/2007 - 26/10/2007 24/10/2007 26/10/20076th Meeting Lower Mekong Working 
Group FMDEatern Asian countries 24/10/2007 - 26/10/2007 24/10/2007 26/10/2007
Première Réunion Coordination 
Régionale IAHP Pays de Maghreb et 
EgypteMaghreb countries and Egypt 26/10/2007 - 28/10/2007 26/10/2007 28/10/2007
OIE Regional Commission for Middle 
EastMiddle East countries 29/10/2007 - 01/11/2007 29/10/2007 01/11/2007
OIE National Trainers' Training Course Asian-Pacific countries 29/10/2007 - 31/10/2007 29/10/2007 31/10/2007
PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Kuwait 18/11/2007 - 28/11/2007 18/11/2007 28/11/2007PVS Evaluation of Veterinary Services Mali 24/11/2007 - 07/12/2007 24/11/2007 07/12/2007OIE Regional Workshop on HPAI Southeast Asian countries 26/11/2007 - 26/11/2007 26/11/2007 26/11/2007Atelier IAHP African countries 03/12/2007 - 07/12/2007 03/12/2007 07/12/2007
Mission FMD Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, 
Uruguay08/12/2007 - 15/12/2007 08/12/2007 15/12/2007
Reg WTO Workshop on SPS Eastern and Southern African 
countries11/12/2007 - 13/12/2007 11/12/2007 13/12/2007
Training Session Laboratory Staff DR Congo, Angola, Tanzania, 
Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia17/12/2007 - 22/12/2007 17/12/2007 22/12/2007
Training Laboratory Staff Rift Valley 
FeverAfrican countries 17/12/2007 - 21/12/2007 17/12/2007 21/12/2007
 Project/Activity 
HPAI Workshop 
HPAI Workshop 
FMD mission First HPAI Regional Coordination 
Meeting, Maghreb countries and Egypt G/SPS/GEN/830 
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  ATTACHMENT 2 
 
 
The OIE concept of twinning between laboratories 
 
Introduction
The OIE fully realises that the most effective way of detecting, diagnosing, 
controlling and responding to animal disease and zoonotic incursions, is to ensure good governance in Member Countries. Integral to good governance is 
the ability and capacity of all Member 
Countries to comply with the guidelines, recommendations and international standards of the OIE that are mandated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The OIE has therefore embarked on a 
unique strategic initiative to develop an 
assessment and evaluation system to assist countries to identify weaknesses in their system that makes it difficult for them to comply with the minimum standards, 
guidelines and recommendations of the 
OIE. The evaluation system based on the performance, strategy and vision of a country to move towards compliance (commonly referred to as the PVS-
strategy) is already in operation and 
applied successfully in a number of developing and in-transition countries. The assessment system considers critical aspects of veterinary service delivery such as technical capability, human and 
financial capital, interaction with the private 
sector and the needs and problems associated with access to markets. The OIE has, by linking this initiative to its overall aim to establish awareness and 
acceptance of the delivery of veterinary 
services as an international public good, elicited major financial support for this 
project from the World Bank and other 
donors, including some of the more financial affluent Member Countries of the OIE. Integral to the assessment process is also the identification of the need to 
establish scientific and technological 
expertise within these countries to enable them to become self-sufficient to early detect and diagnose diseases and to be able to provide the scientific justification for certification of animals and animal products 
for trade. 
Although the International Committee of 
the OIE has already in 2002 adopted a Resolution to identify the need for support by OIE Reference Laboratories and 
Collaborating Centres to enter into 
partnership as advanced research institutes with developing and in-transition countries, the OIE also realises that substance to this ideal can only be given 
by actively moving towards scientific 
capacity-building with the ideal to eventually establish focal points of expertise and more Reference Laboratories within developing countries. To enable the realisation of this ideal, the 
concept of twinning between laboratories 
was born to eventually ensure an even geographical distribution of expertise and Reference Laboratories for easier access to expertise for the rapid detection and 
diagnosis of disease. 
 G/SPS/GEN/830 
 Page 13 
 
 
  The development and setting of OIE 
guidelines, recommendations and standards for both terrestrial and aquatic animals, are based on scientific principles and thereby also in support of the 
requirements of the Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Agreement of the WTO that sanitary measures should be scientifically justifiable. The OIE standards are developed for application by all its Member 
Countries which makes it imperative that 
all Member Countries should contribute in the setting of standards and also be able to debate these standards from a scientific point of view when necessary. It is 
therefore important that developing and in-
transition countries need a veterinary scientific community able to be associated in the preparation of standards. To this end, the twinning concept will create the much needed opportunities to enable 
developing and in-transition countries to 
become scientifically competent to debate on equal footing on the scientific justification of standards.  
Twinning – an integral 
concept to capacity-building for the improvement of veterinary services 
Out of the current 172 Member Countries 
of the OIE, almost 72% are from 
developing countries with variable scientific 
capacity or access to scientific expertise within their national laboratories - with the majority of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres and expertise still situated in the remaining 47 Member 
Countries. All 172 Member Countries of the 
OIE are however obliged to comply or move towards compliance with the interna-tional guidelines, recommendations and standards prescribed in the OIE Codes  and 
Manuals  for both terrestrial and aquatic 
animals. It is therefore of critical importance to establish the necessary scientific expertise in these countries and eventually ensure an even geographical spread of available expertise to provide the 
essential scientific support to the veterinary services within these countries, thereby enabling them to more readily apply the guidelines, recommendations and 
standards of the OIE. 
The main objective of twinning is therefore 
to assist laboratories in developing or in-transition countries to build their capacity and scientific expertise with the eventual 
aim that some of them could become OIE 
Reference Laboratories in their own right. To practically apply this concept, a link between an existing OIE Reference Laboratory or Collaborating Centre with 
another laboratory in a developing or in- 
transition country must be established for exchange of scientific expertise and capacity-building. Taking into consideration the current geographical spread and actual localities of OIE Reference Laboratories 
and Collaborating Centres, the twinning 
concept could imply a transfer of knowledge, training and expertise from the ‘North’ to the ‘South’ or from an existing OIE Reference Laboratory or Collaborating 
Centre of the South to another less 
advanced laboratory applying for such assistance. 
• Applying the concept of twinning 
between laboratories 
The procedure to implement the concept 
should be flexible to be adaptable to different situations - from helping as a first 
step to publish scientific results until 
eventually achieving the level required to become an OIE Reference Laboratory. The guiding or parent OIE Reference Laboratory and the selected expert(s) from 
that laboratory will be the driving force to 
ensure success in any twinning agreement and will also be responsible for the implementation and the use of financial resources under the auspices and control 
of the OIE. 
The initiation and eventual implementation 
of a twinning relationship between an OIE Reference Laboratory and an applicant laboratory should be done in a stepwise G/SPS/GEN/830 
Page 14  
 
  approach to establish capacity and 
expertise and eventually move to the final phase when a participatory laboratory could become an OIE Reference Laboratory in their own right. 
• To ensure the successful agreement 
on a twinning process between 
laboratories, it will be essential that : 
a) The Delegates of the Member 
Countries of the two involved labo-ratories and their respective directors, should be in agreement 
on such a twinning arrangement. 
b) The twinning arrangement should 
favour a scientific need relevant to the sanitary situation of the country or region of the applicant 
laboratory; 
c) Communication facilities between 
the laboratories and experts involved must be assured; 
d) The objectives, time frames and 
desired outcomes must be realistic 
and attainable. 
The requirements for compliance by the 
applicant laboratory to enter into such a twinning arrangement will be detailed by the Biological Standards Commission 
taking into consideration prevailing guide-
lines for applicants.  
• The Scientific and Technical Depart-
ment of the OIE Central Bureau in 
close cooperation with the relevant Specialist Commissions, will manage the process by:  
a) Informing all Delegates of Member 
Countries under signature of the Director General of the OIE on the 
concept and proposed steps for twinning between laboratories.  
b) Establishing a list of existing OIE 
Reference Laboratories or Collabo-
rating Centres candidates for 
providing cooperation and a list of applicant laboratories interested in cooperation using the OIE twinning concept. 
c) Collating the proposed projects and 
applications for twinning for submission of the dossiers to the relevant Specialist Commissions. 
d) Initiate and facilitate negotiations 
between the OIE and potential 
financial donors to assist twinning projects. 
e) Selection of eligible projects for 
financial support on the base of the estimated budget indicated by the 
two collaborating partners and as 
accepted by the relevant OIE Commission.  
f) Ensuring that the project is 
implemented by the existing OIE 
Reference Laboratory or 
Collaborating Centre in close cooperation with the applicant. 
g) Ensuring that technical and 
financial control outlined in the mutual agreement between the 
participating laboratories, are 
applied. 
Dr Bernard Vallat 
Director General 
 
__________