Member States at UNEA-5 in Nairobi has adopted an historic resolution for animals recognising the nexus between animal welfare, environment and sustainable development. This is the first-ever resolution to be tabled and approved with explicit reference to animal welfare.

A milestone day for the entire global animal protection movement that may now hope to improve the well-being of animals across the world.

The resolution, sponsored by seven member states (Ghana, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Pakistan) calls on the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to submit a report on the link between animal welfare, environment and sustainable development in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), One-Health High-Level Expert Panel and other stakeholders.

The Sustainable Development Agenda set out in UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1 expected a world in which “humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other living species are protected”. However, a dedicated action to protect animals and their welfare in the UN policy has been insufficient to date, with devastating impacts on biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and global public and environmental health. With this resolution, the Assembly is now providing the much-needed intergovernmental cooperation to reach this goal.

The outreach campaign to raise awareness and garner support for the resolution was led by the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) and the World Federation for Animals (WFA) in coordination with many other animal welfare and environmental organizations across all continents.

Download the UN resolution ANIMAL WELFARE–ENVIRONMENT–SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT NEXUS. English

Read the letter from the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in relation to resolution 5/1 entitled “Animal welfare-environment-sustainable development nexus (UNEA.5-Res.1). Read a commentary of CABI One Health ( Sustainable-development-matters-for-animals-too_CABI-One-Health )

OIPA welcomes the Nexus resolution and does hope it will represent a real change for animals in the future