1st INTERNATIONAL PAN AFRICAN ANIMAL WELFARE ALLIANCE ...

Address by H.E. Mr. Erastus Mwencha Deputy Chairperson of the African UnionCommissionAFRICAN UNIONUNION AFRICAINEUNIÃO AFRICANAAddis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone (251) 115 517 700 Fax: (251) 115 517844 website:www.au.intIt is an honor for me to have been invited to this official opening ceremony of the 1 st Pan African Animal WelfareConference and I wish to take this opportunity to thank the organizers for this invitation which, to me, is ademonstration of the confidence they have in the leadership of the African Union, through its Specialized TechnicalOffice responsible for animal resources, the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) which this countryhas graciously hosted for the last 60 years and we are grateful. Indeed, AU-IBAR provides leadership in thedevelopment of animal resources for Africa by supporting and coordinating the utilization of animal resources, whichinclude livestock, fisheries and wildlife, for the well-being of the people of Africa and the economic development of theMember States of the African Union.Inspired by its vision of an Africa free from hunger and poverty in which animal resources make a significantcontribution within the global arena, AU-IBAR supports AU Member States in close collaboration with the RegionalEconomic Communities (RECs) and other partners.Your Excellency, Among the several areas of focus of the African Union are the development and promotion of tradeand the development and promotion of common African positions within the global arena in the various areas ofdevelopment, including animal resources. The African Union Commission plays the role of facilitating these areas offocus through harmonization of policies and regulations among AU Member States.Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, Animal welfare issues have in recent times assumed significant importanceparticularly in the area of the general management of animals and trade in animals and animal products. Humanehandling of animals is critical not only to the wellbeing of the animals themselves, but also to the health and economicwellbeing of the human population. Mishandling of animals may lead to their ill-health and degradation of the quality ofproducts derived from them, to the extent that this leads to negative consequences on the human population, such as illhealth.We just need to remind ourselves of the recent pandemics of bird flu and swine flu which resulted in the loss ofmany human lives and huge economic losses especially among the small scale livestock keepers. It is, therefore,important that we all pool our efforts together in ensuring that animals are accorded the rights they deserve.At this moment in Africa’s history, we find ourselves in a position where internal pressures to recognize and deal withanimal welfare issues are rising to the levels of those applied by external groups. The future of Africa’s development ishinged on how it responds to both these pressures. In order to favorably compete in the international livestock markets,each AU Member State will not only have to introduce the appropriate guidelines for livestock trade, but also toregulate and enforce these guidelines in a way that local communities and people can benefit.On its part the African Union Commission (AUC) is actively engaged in promoting the adoption of appropriate policiesand measures by AU Member States, in order to ensure that Africa maintains the highest standards possible in animalwelfare as it contributes to our wellbeing. Through AU-IBAR, the Commission is currently implementing a number ofcontinent-wide initiatives aimed at achieving this objective. Among these are the Reinforcing Veterinary Governance inAfrica (VETGOV), the Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Health in the IGAD Region, and the ParticipationReport of The 1 st International Pan African Animal Welfare Alliance (PAAWA) 2013 Page 44