International Counterparts
Health Canada: Health Canada is responsible for protecting human and animal health and the safety of Canada's food supply. Through the Veterinary Drugs Directorate, Health Canada evaluates and monitors the safety, quality, and effectiveness, sets standards, and promotes the prudent use of veterinary drugs administered to food-producing and companion animals.
Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): CFIA is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. The CFIA, in collaboration and partnership with industry, consumers, and federal, provincial and municipal organizations, continues to work towards protecting Canadians from preventable health risks related to food and zoonotic diseases.
European Medicines Agency (EMA): EMA is a decentralized body of the European Union, located in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety monitoring of medicines for human and veterinary use in the EU.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): EFSA is an agency of the European Union set up in 2002 to serve as an impartial source of scientific advice to risk managers and to communicate on risks associated with the food chain. They cooperate with interested parties to promote the coherence of EU scientific advice. EFSA provides the scientific basis for laws and regulations to protect European consumers from food-related risks – from farm to fork. Together with their Member States partners, EFSA builds the European food safety knowledge ecosystem, ensuring safe food as the basis for healthy diets and sustainable food systems.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD): VMD is responsible for the safe and effective use of veterinary medicinal products in the United Kingdom. VMD aims to protect public health, animal health and the environment and promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of veterinary medicines in the UK.
Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (JMAFF): JMAFF is a cabinet level ministry in the Japanese government responsible for oversight of the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. They contribute to the development of national economy through their role overseeing products from production to consumption with the goal of achieving a stable food supply, promoting agricultural development, and upgrading the welfare of rural inhabitants.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries (NZ MPI): MPI helps provide export opportunities for primary industries, improve sector productivity, ensure the food they produce is safe, increase sustainable resource use, and protect New Zealand from biological risk. MPI's staff work throughout New Zealand and internationally. They provide policy and regulatory advice, market access and trade services, and manage major regulatory systems of biosecurity, food safety, forestry, fisheries management, and animal welfare.
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA): APVMA is the Australian Government regulator of agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemical products, established in 1993 to centralize the registration of all agvet chemical products into the Australian marketplace. They regulate agricultural and veterinary chemicals to manage the risks of pests and diseases for the Australian community and to protect Australia’s trade and the health and safety of people, animals and the environment.
Multilateral International Engagements
International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH): VICH is a trilateral (EU-Japan-USA) program aimed at harmonizing technical requirements for veterinary product registration. The initiative to begin the harmonization process came in 1983 when the first International Technical Consultation on Veterinary Drug Registration was held. Since then, a series of government and industry initiatives have been developed, culminating in the formation of VICH.
World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH): The need to fight animal diseases at a global level led to the creation of WOAH, originally founded as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). WOAH is the intergovernmental organization responsible for transparently disseminating information on animal diseases, improving animal health globally and thus build a safer, healthier and more sustainable world. It is recognized as a reference organization by the World Trade Organization and in 2022 had a total of 182 Member Countries. WOAH maintains permanent relations with 70 other international and regional organizations and has Regional and sub-regional Offices worldwide.
American Committee for Veterinary Medicines (CAMEVET): CAMEVET is a regional project of the WOAH which aims to facilitate the harmonization of standards, records, and control of veterinary medicines among member countries.
World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. In the 21st century, health is a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care and collective defense against transnational threats.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): PAHO is an international public health agency with more than 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO and enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations system.