Paris, France

• There is already a coalition representing non-governmental animal welfare organizations from all over the world at the OIE – International Coalition for Animal Welfare (ICFAW), and its membership is growing. ICFAW now holds a Memorandum of Understanding with the OIE, strengthening the relationship between the two organizations. 
• The OIE is now hosting Animal Welfare Forums to address animal welfare issues. ICFAW is providing feedback to the OIE to make these Forums more effective. 
• The OIE Global AW Strategy has been adoped and can now be used in advocacy on international, regional and national levels.
• Regional AW Strategies have been concluded for all regions. There are now AW Platforms for Europe and Africa. These will provide frameworks for the development of AW across whole regions (and may/could tap into funding sources). AP contacts in RAWS/Platforms can influence these significantly, as could effective regional alliances.
• The OIE is a useful focus for AW & Development advocacy as there are many influential development organizations and RECs that are OIE collaborating partners. This provides a leverage to press the OIE to include this aspect in negotiations/work plans.
• ICFAW advocacy at the Global AW Conference supported many helpful recommendations that can be used in future advocacy. See: http://www.oie.int/eng/animal-welfare-conf2016/pdf/A_Draft_Recommendations_AW_Guadalajara.pdf
• There is scope for advocacy for the OIE to promote the inclusion of AW in all bilateral trade agreements to at least cover OIE standards (which provides the potential for raising AW standards in countries trading animal/animal tested products).
• There is ongoing ICFAW advocacy as regards international standards development, including pushing for new standards on some subjects and pressing for amendments to improve drafts.
• There is scope for building APO political clout through cooperation in standards implementation (see below regarding equine APOs).
• A global monitoring and evaluation framework for the OIE is being considered. This would provide a mechanism for regular reporting of animal welfare progress by member countries. This would be a useful advocacy tool for national APOs to lobby their governments.
• The US is the biggest AW country barrier. There is scope for monitoring their performance and advocacy.
• There is scope for linkages between international, regional and national APOs. For example, ICFAW prepares comments on draft OIE standards, which could be shared with national APOs and placed through their governments to influence content.
• There is an opportunity for advocacy with OIE to ensure that the political push for elimination of dog-human mediated rabies always includes Stray Dog Population Management and the OIE standard.
• ICFAW has raised emerging welfare issues with wildlife and disease control. This may be useful for pest control, in terms of suggesting that the OIE also research other emerging/neglected issues with a view to influencing future standards/amendments.