A new animal welfare guide showing how governments can use animal health and welfare to implement the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Biodiversity and Health was launched at COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, on 21 October 2026. The Animals for Biodiversity and Health guide and its accompanying website were developed by members of the World Federation for Animals (WFA), in close collaboration with the Born Free Foundation.
The WFA is a not-for-profit, UN-accredited federation of more than 70 animal welfare organisations, established in 2020. It works to integrate animal welfare into international health, food and environmental regimes, as well as trade and development finance rules.
Animal welfare guide launched at COP17
The guidance was presented at a press conference during the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Representatives from the Government of France, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the WFA and the Born Free Foundation explained why the guidance matters and how it can be applied.
WFA members involved in its development include Eurogroup for Animals, Animal Protection Denmark and World Animal Protection. Contributions also came from the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Sustainable Use Transformative Partnership Platform hosted by the Landscape Alliance (CIFOR-ICRAF), the Department of Geography at University College London and Brazil’s Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).
Biodiversity targets off track
The launch follows the newly released State of Biodiversity Action report, which found that the world is way off track to meet the goal of protecting 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030. Climate Global News has previously reported on how the Kunming Biodiversity Fund endorsed its first major projects to accelerate global biodiversity action.
According to the release, biodiversity loss, climate change, zoonotic disease emergence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) share many common drivers, with animals at the centre of them. The way wild animals are captured, traded, farmed and conserved, and the way farmed animals are reared, shapes the risk of pathogen spillover, the prevalence of AMR and pressure on ecosystems.
H5N1 avian flu is now present on all continents. Forecasts cited in the release estimate that 1.91 million deaths attributable to AMR and 8.22 million deaths associated with AMR could occur globally in 2050.
Policy options for wildlife, climate and farmed animals
The GAP was adopted at CBD COP16 in 2024. Built on the One Health approach, it sets out a framework for national action on the links between biodiversity, animal health and welfare, and human health and wellbeing, with recommendations tied to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets.
The guide translates the plan’s recommendations into options governments can adapt to national circumstances. On wildlife protection, these include prohibiting or strictly regulating high-risk and inhumane capture, transport and trade practices. On biodiversity and climate, they include protecting and enhancing urban tree canopy and establishing wildlife corridors. For farmed animals, they include phasing out high-risk confinement systems and conserving locally adapted, genetically diverse livestock breeds.
Countries and cities already acting
The release cites several existing examples:
- Medellin, Colombia, has built 30 green corridors along roads and streams over the last decade, lowering average urban temperatures by about 2°C and seeing the return of birds, lizards, frogs and bats.
- Belgium established a ‘positive list for mammals’ in 2009, setting out which species can be kept as pets.
- Brazil’s IBAMA wildlife triage and rehabilitation centres (CETAS) received more than 54,000 wild animals in 2023 for veterinary care and, where possible, release.
- Bangladesh and Cameroon have One Health frameworks that recognise animal welfare.
- Germany’s recently adopted national dietary guidelines define sustainable nutrition across health, environment, social aspects and animal welfare.
Why the organisations say welfare matters
Jewel Omollo, Environment Policy Officer at the World Federation for Animals, said: “Animal health and welfare is inherently connected to biodiversity and the health of people and our planet. As policymakers look to respond to the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health, we see animal health and welfare as a key conduit for meeting its objectives. The protection of habitats, promotion of more sustainable use and management of wildlife, and developing food systems which are more aligned with nature; improved animal welfare underpins all of this. This guide has been created to support policymakers in applying the points of the GAP into clear, practical action.”
Adeline Lerambert, International Policy Manager at the Born Free Foundation, added: “We cannot truly safeguard human health without taking animal health and welfare seriously, just as we cannot protect species without protecting the individual animals that make them up. Animal welfare is a powerful but often overlooked tool for conserving biodiversity and preventing disease. This guidance gives governments a practical roadmap for putting animal welfare at the heart of policy and delivering better outcomes for wildlife, ecosystems and people.”
Frequently asked questions
What is the Animals for Biodiversity and Health guide?
It is a guide and accompanying website that gives governments practical policy options for using animal health and welfare to implement the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health.
Where and when was the guide launched?
It was launched at a press conference at COP17, the UN Biodiversity Conference, in Yerevan, Armenia, on 21 October 2026.
Who developed the guide?
It was developed by World Federation for Animals members, including Eurogroup for Animals, Animal Protection Denmark and World Animal Protection, in close collaboration with the Born Free Foundation. The World Organisation for Animal Health, CIFOR-ICRAF, University College London and Brazil’s ICMBio also contributed.
What is the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health?
It was adopted at CBD COP16 in 2024 and is built on the One Health approach. It sets out a framework for national action on the links between biodiversity, animal health and welfare, and human health.
What policy measures does the guide suggest?
Examples include strictly regulating high-risk wildlife capture and trade, protecting urban tree canopy, establishing wildlife corridors and phasing out high-risk confinement systems for farmed animals.
