Capacity building to support the strengthening of veterinary legislation: donor country perspective

摘要

The foundation principles for effective aid were outlined in the Paris Declaration in 2005, and were further developed in 2008 in the Accra Agenda for Action. These principles comprise ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability. The Australian Government supports these principles and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. It contributes to capacity building to assist developing countries, particularly those within its region, reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development. Australia recognises that capacity building for Veterinary Services, including legislation and governance arrangements, is a global public good, which also benefits Australia through increased regional security and stability,economic development, protection of human and animal health, and increased trade flows.Veterinary legislation provides a pertinent case study for the principles of effective aid outlined above. Legislation must be developed by the country that will use it, in alignment with the country's legal system and consistent with existing legislation. Legislation needs to be developed in consultation with the people who will be affected by it. Legislation is intended to effect and enforce behaviour change and, if it is implemented effectively, the results will be measurable. Resources are requirednot only to develop legislation, but also to implement it. Donors and international organisations can best assist the process of developing and implementing legislation through partnerships with recipient countries, being guided by the needs the recipient country has identified and by international frameworks and standards, particularly those of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).The OIE facilitates the efforts of those who are working together to improve veterinary legislation by providinga range of tools such as international standards for the evaluation of Veterinary Services in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Guidelines on Veterinary Legislation and the OIE Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services (OIE PVS Tool). Australia supports the OIE PVS initiative and related elements, including initiatives to improve veterinary legislation and governance, through the OlE/AusAID Project to Strengthen Veterinary Services to Combat Avian Influenza and Other Priority Diseases in South East Asia.