16th Meeting of the Upper Mekong Working Group on FMD Zoning and Animal Movement Management

16^th Meeting of the Upper Mekong Working Group on Foot and Mouth Disease Zoning and Animal Movement Management, back-to-back with the Private Sector Consultative Committee meeting

Summary

The 16th Upper Mekong Working Group Meeting on FMD Zoning and Animal Movement Management, held alongside the Private Sector Consultative Committee (PSCC) meeting in Chiang Rai, Thailand (7-10 April 2026), gathered 35 participants from veterinary services, border authorities, and private stakeholders in P. R. China (Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, with observers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Sessions covered FMD situational updates (including new SAT1 lineages), progress with the SEACFMD Private Sector Consultative Committee (PSCC), and public-private partnership tools like the WOAH PPP Handbook. The meetings also involved interactive workshops on collaboration business cases, animal movement pathway mapping, and priority actions for 2026-2027 aligned with the SEACFMD Roadmap 2026-2030.

Sessions concluded with a forward-looking consultative segment to identify priority action points for 2026–2027, ensuring that future initiatives remain aligned with the strategic goals of the broader SEACFMD Roadmap 2026-2030. Please see the reference document below for the developed recommendations.

MTM focal points for FMD control

The second meeting of the Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar (MTM) Focal Points for FMD Control was held on the sidelines of the 15th Upper Mekong Working Group and PSCC Meeting on 9 April 2025. Among the various agenda items discussed, the meeting primarily focused on the Terms of Reference for the MTM Working Group and preparations for the first MTM Working Group Meeting to be held in Thailand in July 2026.

Commercial port visit

On the last day, participants visited the Chiang Saen commercial port, which serves as a strategic hub for regional livestock trade, facilitating movement to Lao PDR and river transport to China’s Yunnan Province. During the visit, participants received presentations on integrated customs, immigration, and quarantine services and observed trade activities within the port.

Objectives

The meetings provided:

experience sharing and lessons learned on the trade barriers, opportunities and bilateral agreements to control cross-border animal movement

opportunities to build practical capacity to apply WOAH standards and technical regulations, particularly zoning and animal movement management, to directly support safer and more efficient trade.

improved operational coordination between Veterinary Services and the private sector by identifying priority areas for collaboration and mechanisms for regular information sharing at national and Upper Mekong region.

the ability to identify key challenges and priorities, and develop practical recommendations and actionable options (see the reference document below) to strengthen the effectiveness of public–private partnerships (PPPs) for FMD control and safe trade at national and Upper Mekong region.