WOAH Regional Workshop on “Facilitation of International Horse Movement” in Asia and the Pacific

WOAH Regional Workshop on “Facilitation of International Horse Movement” in Asia and the Pacific 2024

Background

International horse sports events and related movements have seen steady growth and increasing economic importance globally and particularly in Asia until the incursion of COVID-19. After almost 3 years of standstill for the international horse movement, events are now starting again and there is a need for the work under the PPP to continue. The equestrian events such as the recently concluded Asian Games in China and the forthcoming Asian Championship in Thailand in 2023 and 2025, respectively, are supported by the PPP and are testimony to the renewed activities in the region.

While the PPP collaboration with WOAH headquarters continues to target global issues, the WOAH Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific (RRAP) is providing specific support to this region through a new initiative. This project builds on previous achievements made specifically in the region. This new project receives funding support from the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) for the period October 2022 to September 2024.

During the first year of project implementation, two coordination meetings with the 21 participating members took place during which the approaches to best achieve project outcomes were discussed. All participating members were contacted individually and invited for a member interview with the project team. This activity also provided valuable insights into the cooperation between Veterinary Services and the equestrian sector, as well as provide a good insight into the issues experienced by the Veterinary Services regarding the health and requirements of the equine population in their members.

Four online seminars have been organized during this period, all of which were attended by more than 150 participants. Proceedings of these webinars were recorded and are available on the dedicated project webpage on the RRAP website (https://rr-asia.woah.org/en/projects/horse-movement/international-horse-movement-in-asia-and-the-pacific/).

This workshop will be a follow-up of the WOAH-IHSC workshop held in Hong Kong in 2019, with the aim of enhancing the coordination between the public and private sectors in regard to the management of equine diseases, equine identification and traceability and international horse movement. It will bring to the fore gaps and needs of members that can be addressed in Phase 2 of the project, particularly in view of improved coordination mechanisms, capacity building (including laboratory diagnosis) and implementation of updated roadmaps to facilitate the movement of competition horses.

Objectives of the Workshop

The main objectives of this Regional Workshop are:

To bring together Veterinary Services and the private equestrian sector from the participating members in a face-to-face meeting, given that all other project activities are online based.
To foster the exchange of information and networking amongst the participating members.
To enhance the coordination between the public and private sectors in regard to the management of equine diseases, equine identification and traceability and international horse movement.
Present and discuss the outcomes of project activities to date.
Recall the Roadmaps developed in previous regional meetings and update them.

Expected Outcomes

This physical meeting will bring to the fore gaps and needs of members and solutions that can be provided, particularly in view of improved coordination mechanisms, capacity building (including laboratory diagnosis), harmonized import health certificates and implementation of updated roadmaps.