© 2017 AU-IBAR. African OIE Delegates Reach Common Positions on Animal Health Standards for the 85th General Session of OIE.Under the auspices of the Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa (Vet-Gov) project and the Standards and Trade Secretariat (STS), AU-IBAR convened the ninth meeting for OIE delegates, from 3^rd to 5^th May 2015 in Nairobi to examine the proposed changes in the OIE Terrestrial and Aquatic Codes submitted for adoption during the General Session of the World Assembly of OIE Delegates which will take place in Paris, France from 21^st to 26^th May 2017.

In attendance were fifty two (52) Delegates from Africa Union Member States. Representative of FAO (ECTAD Nairobi), OIE sub-regional office for East Africa) and EU also participated in the meeting.

The meeting was officially opened by the Director of AU-IBAR Prof Ahmed El-Sawalhy on behalf of Her Excellency Madam Sacko Josefa Leonel Correa, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture. Prof. El-Sawalhy congratulated and welcomed the OIE Delegates of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Uganda who were recently appointed and were attending this Pan-African CVOs meeting for the first time in that capacity. Prof El-Sawalhy noted that the impact of the participation of Africa in the General Sessions of OIE had increased tremendously and that the African block now plays a major role in the discussions taking place in the OIE. He stressed the need to sustain the momentum and keep working at improving participation in OIE standard-setting process. He acknowledged the importance of OIE standards in public health protection and market access. He therefore encouraged Member States to domesticate these standards in their national veterinary legislations and policies.

© 2017 AU-IBAR/George Matete. Export Livestock Being Fattened. The trade in livestock and livestock products plays a key role in Somalia’s economic and social development. Its contribution to employment creation, the gross domestic product and export earnings is known. At a household level, the livestock holdings contribute to household resilience and better livelihood by increasing the percentage of their incomes derived from diverse livestock and livestock products and being used to adapt to shocks. It is critical that more Somali livestock traders are educated on the central role they play in livestock certification for export and the adherence to quarantine standard operating procedures. In particular, the owners of the seven livestock export quarantines must cede ground to the public sector and allow them access and control of the livestock inspection, export certification and laboratory testing within the quarantines.

The promotion of trade is one of the facilities that stimulate the export markets. It is one of the opportunities overlooked with the role of government being marginal and that of the private sector over emphasised. However, with increasing trade facilitation adherence to Sanitary and Phytosanitary standards requires attention in order to stimulate growth of exports. Many of the key importing countries are converting the Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary Agreement (SPS) into Technical Barriers in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination and thus restrictive to trade. There is need for the Somali trade regulators to ensure that traders maintain all the measures prescribed by the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) so as to avoid trade restrictions. The existing international agreements recognize that "no country should be prevented from taking measures necessary to ensure the quality of its imports, or for the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, of the environment, or for the prevention of deceptive practices."

© 2017 AU-IBAR/ H.E. Mr. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, the Minister of Agro-Industry, Mauritius together with AU-IBAR, RECs, Technical Partners and representatives from 14 COMESA Member states launched the Regional Livestock Policy Hub in the COMESA Region.With the technical and financial backstopping from AU-IBAR and within the framework of the VET-GOV programme, COMESA held a livestock forum in Port Louis, Mauritius on the 11-12^th April 2017.

During the Forum, it was agreed to establish the Regional Livestock Policy Hub (RLPH) to provide effective and efficient animal health, production and trade services within the COMESA region.

The Forum was attended by participants from AU-IBAR, COMESA Secretariat, OIE, FAO, USAID, Tufts University and Regional Economic Communities(COMESA, EAC and IGAD) in addition to representatives from Comoros, Kenya, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Malawi, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe and participants from the Regional Farmers Organizations (EAFF, SACAU).

The forum was officially opened by H.E. Mr. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, the Minister of Agro-Industry, Mauritius following remarks from Dr Mphumuzi Sukati, Senior Policy Officer, Economics, trade and Marketing on behalf of Professor Ahmed El-Sawalhy, the Director AU-IBAR and Mr. Thierry Mutombo Kalonji, Director of Industry and Agriculture, on behalf of COMESA Secretariat.

© 2017 AU-IBAR. Group Photo of Participants at the 2nd RAHS Project Steering Committee Meeting. AU-IBAR is implementing the project for Reinforcing Animal Health Services in Somalia (RAHS) in partnership with the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range of the Federal Government of Somalia, the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry of the Puntland State of Somalia, the Ministry of Livestock, Somaliland and two NGOs, COOPI and Terra Nuova. The project aims to strengthen the policy and regulatory environment for animal health services delivery, public private and community partnerships to enhance access to animal health services and livestock disease surveillance and control systems in Somalia.

AU-IBAR convened the second steering committee meeting of the RAHS project for on 5^th April 2017 at the Anderita Hotel in Entebbe, Uganda. This meeting was held back to back with the 2^nd Steering committee meeting of the Project for Enhancing Somali Livestock Trade (ESOLT) held on 4^th April 2017 and a two-day Somali Stakeholders’ Consultative meeting to address sustainable livestock exports, held from 6^th -7^th April 2017.