Regional Workshop: Animal Movement and Border Control

Regional Workshop on Animal Movement and Border Control

In the wake of increasing globalisation, the movement of live animals and animal products across borders has significantly heightened the risk of spreading transboundary animal diseases (TADs), which can have devastating impacts on national, regional and global economies, public health, and biodiversity.

At the East Asia CVO/Contact Persons meeting held in Qingdao, China in 2023 and the 27th SEACFMD Sub-Commission Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2024, it was recognised that strengthening collaboration between veterinary authority and border inspection agencies is crucial for establishing a unified response to prevent the incursion, ensure early detection, and control TADs at borders. This initiative can be expanded to the entire Asia and Pacific region, where building better networks within the region is essential as a strategy to control TADs across borders.

Furthermore, many countries share land borders and must pay close attention to the illegal movement of animals and animal products across these borders. Such movements pose a significant risk, easily leading to the incursion and spread of TADs.

Therefore, WOAH is organising a Regional Workshop on Animal Movement and Border Control in Asia-Pacific 2025, 1 – 3 July 2025, in Chiba, Japan, aiming to enhance regional capacity in managing animal movement and border control to prevent the spread of TADs by focusing on understanding existing systems and frameworks within WOAH Members in Asia and the Pacific.

Objectives

Workshop objectives:  

1. To assess the current landscape of animal movement and border control in Asia and the Pacific region, identify key challenges, and share national good practices related to animal movement and border control.
2. To improve understanding and implementation of WOAH International Standards, specifically the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, in developing and implementing effective national and regional border control strategies.
3. To explore and identify effective strategies, including technological advancements and enhanced coordination mechanisms, to strengthen border inspections and reduce the risk of TADs incursions, particularly those caused by illegal animal movement.
4. To encourage and strengthen regional information exchange and direct communication among veterinary authorities and border inspection agencies in and between countries to enhance coordination and facilitate problem-solving in animal import operations.

Details

Dates: 1-3 July 2025 

Venue: Chiba, Japan 

Participation: By invitation 

Agenda: PDF