OIE Regional Workshop for Newly Assigned Delegates
(Bangkok, Thailand, 13-14 May 2008)
The Workshop was attended by 22 participants from OIE Members and the OIE; namely, OIE Delegates or their representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China P.R., Fiji, India, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vanuatu. An observer from P.R. China and three observers from Thailand also attended the Workshop.
The purpose of the Workshop was to inform OIE Delegates in Asia and the Pacific, who have been recently assigned and who were not able to participate in the previous Workshop for the New Delegates, about OIE mandates and functions, and obligations of Members, and assist them in being familiar with functions and activities of the OIE and of the OIE Asia-Pacific, and in being actively involved, as the OIE Delegates, in OIE functions such as formulation of international standards for animal health.
Welcome addresses were made by Dr Teruhide Fujita, Regional Representative, OIE Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific, Tokyo, and Dr Sakchai Sriboonsue, OIE Delegate of Thailand and Director General of the Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, as the host country. Dr Fujita explained the purpose of the Workshop and stressed the importance of active participation of OIE Delegates in OIE functions. Dr Sakchai welcomed all the participants and expressed gratitude to the OIE for providing an opportunity for newly assigned delegates to understand OIE mandates and functions.
During the session Dr Fujita explained about organisation, roles and functions of the OIE. Then Dr Alejandro Thiermann, President of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission, explained in detail the OIE Animal Health Codes and Manuals and the standard setting process. Dr Thiermann also explained about the OIE PVS tool and the items in the report of the last Code Commission held in March 2008.
OIE Animal Health Information Systems were explained by Dr Yumiko Sakurai. She explained about OIE notification procedures including the on-line World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) and also touched upon regional activities related to animal health information such as quarterly reports which have been collected by OIE Asia-Pacific. She informed the participants that the collection of reports on terrestrial animal health had been stopped and that Members should continue reporting directly to the OIE Central Bureau using WAHIS.
Regional activities of the OIE Asia-Pacific were explained by Dr Fujita and Dr Akemi Kamakawa. Dr Fujita outlined the regional programmes and Dr Kamakawa explained in detail the activities on (1) standardisation of veterinary biologics in harmonisation of control methods and techniques, (2) prevention and control of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and other prion diseases/transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), (3) GF-TADs and (4) HPAI projects.
Dr Ronello Abila, Regional Coordinator of RCU/SEAFMD, made a presentation on sub-regional activities in Southeast Asia, i.e. SEAFMD campaign and the Programme for Strengthening Veterinary Services (PSVS).
At the end of the Workshop, discussions were made on proposals for further activities of animal health improvement at global and regional levels.