In February 2004 the OIE organized the first International Conference on Animal Welfare in Paris. It was attended by more than 400 delegates from all over the world. Delegates emphasized the necessity of reaching the broadest possible agreement on the development of specific policies based on solid scientific knowledge and taking account of the ethical, cultural and economic dimensions of Animal Welfare.

The event had a global impact, and researchers, experts, jurists, philosophers, legislators and representatives of the public services, industry and associations for the protection of animals from all over the world took part. They debated for three days on topics of the greatest interest for the development and improvement of the conditions of animals in the world.

On the mandate of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the OIE established the standards which regulate commercial exchanges between member countries, entrusting the drafting to groups of experts representing the geographical areas concerned.

In May 2005 the guidelines were approved and inserted into the Terrestrial Health Code for transporting animals by land, sea and air, slaughtering, and culling in the course of epidemic diseases; guidelines are also shortly to be issued on the welfare of reared aquatic species, and on systems of rearing laboratory animals.

The Istituto G. Caporale has contributed with its experts to the work of the ad hoc group for drafting the criteria for monitoring and control of dog populations. Standards will shortly be defined on the welfare of wild and zoo animals, and on systems for rearing species of interest for livestock farming.

The following are the principal initiatives on animal welfare in which the Institute has taken part as an OIE Collaborating Centre:

• Training for DG SANCO/EU veterinary training on Animal Welfare during slaughtering and culling, Croatia 2007;
• participation as experts in international workshop "Bienestar animal - Nuevos horizontes para el siglo XXI", Uruguay 2007;
• participation as experts in EU international workshop "Animal Welfare - Improving by labelling?", Brussels 2007;
• participation as experts in OIE/EU/CoE/TAIEXX international workshop "Animal welfare in Europe: achievements and future objectives" Council of Europe, Strasbourg 2006;
• participation as experts in XX Panamerican Congress on Veterinary Sciences, Chile 2006;
• participation as experts in ad hoc group on control of the dog population, OIE Paris 2006;
• organizing the seminar "Animal welfare in Chile and the EU: shared experiences and future objectives", Chile 2005;
• organizing the annual meeting of the OIE Permanent Work Group on Animal Welfare, Pineto (Teramo) 2005;
• analysis of the training and planning needs for veterinary training by eLearning within the compass of the EU/Chile bilateral agreement 2004.