Quadripartite Coordination Meeting in Bangkok

3 October 2022 (Thailand) – To reduce global health threats at the animal-human-environment interface and supporting the use of the One Health Approach to tackle these threats, the four organisations of the Quadripartite (FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH) met in Bangkok for a four-day (19-22 September) coordination meeting. Both the WOAH Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Dr Hirofumi Kugita, and the WOAH Sub-Regional Representative for South-East Asia, Dr Ronello Abila, were present. It was also the first in-person coordination meeting since UNEP officially joined the Quadripartite in March 2022. 

Several key issues were discussed:   

• Current tools (globally and regionally developed) for Members to use for assessing and improving One Health activities  
• One Health tools currently under development  

• Lessons learned from the different sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic  
• Global & regional initiatives to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics  
• Antimicrobial awareness (AMR) was discussed during the Coordination meeting on an EU-funded AMR project that includes pandemic preparedness   

 It was also an opportunity to better define how the Quadripartite will support members in the Asia Pacific region to implement the forthcoming One Health Joint Plan of Action as well as to better address the burden of AMR in the region through the EU-funded AMR project.