Working Together for Better Animal Welfare
The member organisations of ICFAW together have hundreds of years of experience in tackling animal welfare challenges, work in 150 countries worldwide, employ over 2,000 members of staff including over a hundred scientists and veterinarians and have millions of supporters. They work on all the issues on which the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) develops guidelines and assist countries with implementing the agreed WOAH guidelines.
ICFAW’s work is implemented by a Steering Committee and Regional Working Groups. The Steering Committee includes the current ICFAW Chair, Secretary and the Chairs of each Regional Working Group, plus additional representatives to ensure that members of the Steering Committee have expertise covering farm animals, working animals, wildlife, companion animals and disaster management. The Regional Working Groups coordinate ICFAW work in each of the five regions as defined by the WOAH. Additionally, working groups are organized to work on topical issues as necessary.
The current Steering Committee members are:
Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare - ICFAW Chair
Clara Gobbe, World Federation for Animals - ICFAW Secretary
Tozie Zokufa, Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations - Chair of the Africa Regional Working Group
Carolina Maciel, World Federation for Animals - Chair of the Americas Regional Working Group
Jeff Zhou, Compassion in World Farming - Chair of the Asia, Far East and Oceania Regional Working Group
Alexandra Hammond-Seaman, RSPCA - Chair of the Europe Regional Working Group
Julia Havenstein, Animals’ Angels - Chair of the Middle East Regional Working Group
Laura Skippen, Brooke - Chair of the One Welfare Working Group
Our Member Organizations
“Animal welfare is a responsibility that must be shared between governments, communities, the people who own, care for and use animals, civil society, educational institutions, veterinarians and scientists.”
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) | WOAH Global Animal Welfare Strategy
History
ICFAW was formed in 2001 to represent non-governmental animal welfare organisations from all over the world at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). It is composed of organisations that share the primary objectives of preventing cruelty to animals and relieving their suffering. They use different strategies depending on the nature of the task, and the region and country in which they work.
The coalition plays an important role in the WOAH in four ways:
Contributing to the decision-making process in drawing up guidelines by recommending experts to key working groups, and offering comments, advice and information
Providing expertise on animal welfare at the WOAH’s annual Animal Welfare Forum
Assisting in implementing the agreed WOAH guidelines through training, technology transfer and grant aided funds
Producing position statements on issues such as antimicrobial resistance and chickens bred for meat
ICFAW believes that animal health and animal welfare are intrinsically linked and that therefore the WOAH has a major role to play in this domain, for the benefit of people and animals alike.
Learn more.
