UNNExT Workshop on

Electronic Exchange of SPS Certificates for Better

Trade Control and Facilitation

21-22 October 2015

Wuhan, China

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OIE Standards on Certification

Procedures including Electronic

Certification

Tomoko Ishibashi

International Trade Department

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THE OIE IN BRIEF

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History

An intergovernmental organisation established

20 years before the United Nations

Creation of the

Office International

des Epizooties

(OIE)

New Name:

World Organisation

for Animal Health

(OIE)

Creation of the

United Nations

1924 2003 1945

Headquarters in

Paris (France)

5 Regional

Representations

8 Sub-Regional

Representations and Sub-Regional

Offices

5 5

180 Member Countries in 2015

Certain countries belong to more than one region Liberia and South Sudan joined the OIE in May 2014

54

29

53

12

32

6 6

Regional (RR) and

Sub-Regional (RSR) Representations

Under the direct authority of the Director General

Collaborate closely with Regional Commissions

Gaborone

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OIE standards

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Various Publications

• Terrestrial

• Aquatic

CODES

• Terrestrial

• Aquatic

MANUALS

Once a

year

BULLETIN

4 times

a year

SCIENTIFIC &

TECHNICAL REVIEW

3 times

a year

Technical

Items,

Information

brochures,

Specialised

publications

WORLD ANIMAL

HEALTH

Once a

year

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OIE Standards = Codes and Manuals

• Terrestrial Animal Health Code

• Aquatic Animal Health Code

• Manual of Diagnostic Tests and

• Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals

• Manual of Diagnostic Tests

• for Aquatic Animals

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Rights and obligations

• an importing country has the right to adopt

health measures to achieve the level of

protection it determines appropriate to

protect the life and health of its human,

animal and plant populations

• health measures must be based on scientific

principles and not maintained without

sufficient scientific evidence

• ALOP

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Measures to be based on

• a health measure must be based on an

international standard, if one exists

• unless there is scientific justification for a stronger

measure

• or if a country decides it needs a higher level of

protection than the standard provides

• in which case, a health measure must be based

on a risk analysis

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Harmonization

a n i m a l h e a l t h

O I E

f o o d s a f e t y

C O D E X

p l a n t h e a l t h

I P P C

Article 3

“recognition and application of

common sanitary and phytosanitary

measures by different Members…”

Annex A, 2

“the relevant international organizations”

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Issue / problem

New scientific information e.g. from research

or disease outbreak

New diseases – emerging

New approach e.g. vaccination

Issue / problem identified by Delegates,

OIE Commission, industry, scientists,

individuals, SPS Committee of WTO…

Updating OIE standards (1/5)

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Addressed as new or revised standard if

Wide support from MC to the proposal

Scientific information is available to develop

the standards

The proposal is in link with the OIE 5th

Strategic Plan priorities

Using working groups and ad hoc

groups for specialist tasks

Passing through relevant Commissions

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Updating OIE standards (2/5)

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Proposal circulated for comments to Members Countries, experts, organisations

Code Commission may revise proposal on basis of comments received

Discussed by Delegates at General Session

May be discussed only and returned to Code Commission for further work

May be adopted as OIE international standards

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Updating OIE standards (3/5)

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Adoption during the General Session in May

By consensus in most cases

By vote (2/3 majority, quorum needed)

Revisions to the Codes are adopted via Resolutions of the World Assembly of Delegates

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Updating OIE standards (4/5)

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Updating International Standards

Delegates

ISSUE / PROBLEM

Specialist

Commissions

Review

Advice of experts or other

Specialist Commissions

Draft text

Adoption

Committee,

Commissions,

Delegates

1 2

OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

Comments

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World

Assembly

4

1

2 3

Delegates of

180 Members

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OIE Standards on

Certification

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Art. 5.2.1. Protection of the professional integrity of the certifying veterinarian

Art. 5.2.2. Certifying veterinarians

Certifying veterinarians should:….

Art. 5.2.3. Preparation of international veterinary certificates

Certificates should be drawn up in accordance with the following principles:….

Art. 5.2.4. Electronic certification

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Chapter 5.2. Certification Procedures

Added to the

Chapter in late

1990s’

Updated in 2014 by EU’s request

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1) Certification may be provided by electronic exchange of data

sent directly from the Veterinary Authority of the exporting

country to the Veterinary Authority of the importing country.

a) Systems providing electronic certificates normally provide an

interface with the commercial organisation marketing the

commodity for provision of information to the certifying

authority. The certifying veterinarian should have access to all

information such as laboratory results and animal

identification data.

b)..

c)..

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Art.5.2.4. Electronic certification

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1) Certification may be provided by electronic exchange of data

sent directly from the Veterinary Authority of the exporting

country to the Veterinary Authority of the importing country.

a) …

b) When exchanging electronic certificates and in order to fully

utilise electronic data exchange the Veterinary Authorities

should use internationally standardised language, message

structure and exchange protocols. Guidance for electronic

certification in standardised Extensible Markup Language

(XML) as well as secure exchange mechanisms between

Veterinary Authorities is provided by the United Nations

Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business

(UN/CEFACT).

c)… 21

Art.5.2.4. Electronic certification

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1) Certification may be provided by electronic exchange of data

sent directly from the Veterinary Authority of the exporting

country to the Veterinary Authority of the importing country.

a)..

b) ..

c) A secure method of electronic data exchange should be

ensured by digital authentication of the certificates,

encryption, non-repudiation mechanisms, controlled and

audited access and firewalls.

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Art.5.2.4. Electronic certification

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2) Electronic certificates may be in a different format but

should carry the same information as conventional paper

certificates.

3) The Veterinary Authority should have in place systems for

the security of electronic certificates against access by

unauthorised persons or organisations.

4) The certifying veterinarian should be officially responsible

for the secure use of his/her electronic signature.

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Art.5.2.4. Electronic certification

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Discussion paper on Electronic Certification

A paper was developed by the ad hoc Group on the Use of Animals

in Research and Education, recommending that the OIE champion

the use of electronic health certification, with the possibility of using

laboratory animals as a pilot project (in 2011).

The Terrestrial Animal Health Standard Commission discussed the

movement towards as well as merits of electronic certification.

Discussion paper was distributed among member countries as a part

of Terrestrial Animal Health Standard Commission meeting report.

http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/A_TAHS

C_SEP_2011_Introduction.pdf

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Other work on Electronic Certification

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Website www.oie.int

Early disease alerts Press

Editorials of

the Director

General

Social Media

Standards

Publications

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Thank you for your attention!