HarmonyVote
Global Animal Welfare Standards Act
Abstract:
This act proposes the creation of internationally recognized minimum standards for animal welfare across farming, research, trade, and wildlife sectors, with mechanisms for enforcement, monitoring, and support for member countries.
Description:
Description:
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Creation of a Global Animal Welfare Framework:
Develop and adopt a comprehensive set of science-based welfare standards under the coordination of a global body such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in partnership with the UN and civil society experts. -
Universal Minimum Protections:
Establish baseline protections for all sentient animals, including bans on torture, cruel confinement (e.g. battery cages, veal crates), mutilation without anesthesia, and the commercial trade of wild-caught exotic animals. -
Livestock Welfare Standards:
Define global rules for humane treatment of farm animals across their lifespan—including housing, transport, handling, and slaughter—applying to both smallholders and industrial operations. -
Wildlife Protection Protocols:
Protect wild animals from trafficking, exploitation, and harmful captivity conditions by regulating wildlife tourism, entertainment industries, and illegal wildlife trade. -
Research and Testing Regulation:
Mandate humane treatment in laboratories and require alternatives to animal testing wherever possible. Prioritize the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. -
Certification and Labeling System:
Create a globally recognized animal welfare certification that producers and suppliers can voluntarily adopt to signal compliance with high welfare standards, supported by third-party audits. -
Monitoring and Accountability:
Establish international monitoring mechanisms, including transparency requirements, public reporting, and investigation of violations. Countries would face sanctions or trade restrictions for repeated noncompliance. -
Capacity Building and Transition Support:
Offer technical and financial support to low- and middle-income countries to help them comply with new standards, ensuring that farmers and industries are not disproportionately burdened.
Possible Outcomes and Implications:
- More humane treatment of billions of animals worldwide.
- Reduced global demand for cruelly produced meat, dairy, fashion, and laboratory goods.
- Better public health outcomes through reduced antibiotic misuse and zoonotic risks.
- Economic benefits from growth in humane and certified animal-product markets.
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Voting Instructions:
- If you support the "Global Animal Welfare Standards Act", respond with "Yes."
- If you do not support the act, respond with "No."
- If you have suggestions for modifications or additional points, please share them.