Paris, France
The 81st OIE General Session : focus on CSF and PPR...
May 31, 2013
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The President of the World Assembly of Delegates, Dr Karin Schwabenbauer, opened the 82nd General Session of the OIE in Paris, France and gave an inaugural address alongside the OIE Director General, Dr Bernard Vallat. Over 850 participants, representing Member Countries of the OIE as well as numerous international, intergovernmental, regional and national organisations from Africa took part in the 82nd Session of the OIE, which marked the 90th Anniversary of the Organisation.
Delivering her address to the World Assembly, the Minister of Livestock and Animal Production in Senegal, Ms Aminata Mbengue Ndiave, mentioned that though Senegal`s livestock sector was recording a modest performance, transboundary animal diseases, traceability and market access were some of the challenges the sector faced due to its extensive livestock production system. Ministers and invited government representatives from Botswana, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique and Niger also attended the opening ceremony.
The 82 General Session welcomed Liberia and South Sudan formally as OIE Members Countries raising the African membership to 54.
Dr Botlhe Modisane (Delegate of South Africa) was elected by the World Assembly as Vice President of the OIE Council while Dr Nicholas Kauta (Delegate of Uganda) was elected as Member of the OIE Council as representative of the OIE Regional Commission for Africa.
The meeting of the Commission was chaired by Dr Theogen Rutagwenda (Delegate of Rwanda), Vice President of the Commission and Dr Yacouba Samak?, OIE Regional Representative for Africa. The meeting was attended by about 90 participants, including Delegates and Observers from 36 Members of the Commission and 2 observer countries. Also, 10 international and regional organisation attended the meeting and delivered presentations. The Commission discussed the progress of the activities of the OIE Regional Representation for Africa and the OIE Sub-Regional Representations in Africa.
For the first time, this year, 48 countries were recognised as free from PPR and – for the African region – Mauritius and South Africa were awarded certificates concerning this disease.
The Senegalese Minister of Livestock and Animal Production, Ms Aminata Mbengue Ndiave
Of note, the World Assembly adopted Resolutions with regard to the global PPR control and eradication strategy, which is henceforth considered a global public good, as well as the legal framework for the approval of rinderpest virus holding facilities, both jointly developed by the OIE and FAO. This mandate will be the basis for subsequent approval of facilities to hold rinderpest virus or vaccine.
A total of 32 updated texts of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code were adopted with Africa continuing to speak with “one voice”.
In response to the request from OIE Member Countries of African region, the Terrestrial Code chapter on CBPP was revised to include a new provision for the OIE endorsement of an official control programme.
The World Assembly of Delegates adopted the delisting of swine vesicular disease and vesicular stomatitis as they do no longer meet the criteria for listing.
The World Assembly of OIE Delegates also adopted a new chapter of the Terrestrial Code which sets out the basic principles of establishing horse subpopulations of high health status utilising the existing concept of compartmentalisation.
A major update was made in the Terrestrial Code chapter on Rift Valley fever (RVF), based on recent scientific developments.
Finally, a pathogen-oriented approach was taken to restructure the existing three brucellosis chapters divided by host species (bovine, caprine and ovine, and swine). The newly adopted chapter on infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis now covers multiple host species.
A number of bilateral or multilateral side meetings were held during the 82nd General Session involving Member Countries and organisations from the African continent discussing among them market access and trade facilitation. Amongst them, was the meeting held in the framework of REMESA network to discuss the current FMD situation in Tunisia, and the one between the World Bank, OIE, FAO, AU-IBAR and 6 Member Countries in relation to pastoralism in the Sahel region.
82 GS Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (oie) 2014
82 GS Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (oie) 2014
82 GS Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (oie) 2014
Meetings of the OIE Regional Commissions. All pictures (c) D. Mordzinski (oie) 2014.
