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PERSPECTIVES FROM INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Pages 25-40

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From page 25...
... According to its mission, ICLAS strives to serve as a premier source of laboratory animal science guidelines and standards and as a laboratory animal welfare information center. ICLAS has a strategic plan according to which it promotes worldwide harmonization in the care and use of laboratory animals.
From page 26...
... It does not mean standardization. ICLAS considers that each country should be able to maintain an animal welfare oversight system that reflects its own culture, tradition, religion, laws, and regulations.
From page 27...
... In addition to a central bureau in Paris, with approximately 40 members of staff, which is truly international in its makeup, the organization has a regional infrastructure, with something like 20 offices distributed throughout the OIE's five regions around the world. Moving a little bit closer to the relationship in the laboratory animal science area, for the last two or three years the OIE has been working closely with the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS)
From page 28...
... Laboratory animal transport is an area where again the OIE could probably add value. As I have mentioned already, facilitating a more rapid acceptance of scientifically validated nonanimal tests, where that is possible, will probably be an area of future unique emphasis of the OIE.
From page 29...
... Full membership in IACLAM is restricted to established colleges with bylaws and a constitution, an elected council, approved training programs, credentialing processes for candidates, and a number of other elements that make up a competent and fully fledged college. We also are considering a class of membership, probably called associate membership, for emerging colleges.
From page 30...
... We know that in some countries the veterinary qualification follows a two-year technical training, as opposed to a much longer-term, more complete professional education in other countries. Until we can start to raise the standards of that basic veterinary education and then grasp those well-educated veterinarians and add the specific specialist training that can develop their competency as laboratory animal veterinarians, there will continue to be challenges.
From page 31...
... But colleges will raise standards globally and they will encourage the improvement in competence of all veterinarians in this field -- for example, in Asia, where there are already discussions for further colleges of laboratory animal medicine, or in South America, where, again, discussions for colleges are under way. We also need to see ECLAM, the European college, having a greater impact in Eastern Europe.
From page 32...
... It is a delicate balancing act. The AAALAC Council on Accreditation and ad hoc consultants who conduct site visits must ensure that the institutions they assess adhere to a high-quality standard of animal care and use that is applied consistently worldwide.
From page 33...
... About half agreed that AAALAC consistently applies relevant standards from institution to institution, the concern expressed being more how AAALAC conducts assessments across borders of countries rather than within a single country. Of note, however, is that approximately a third of the respondents think that AAALAC is not flexible enough, perhaps a third think that AAALAC is not consistent enough, and perhaps 50% of respondents have both of these concerns.
From page 34...
... These are a few of the limitations that shippers are faced with today: shippers' expectations and carriers' limitations are not always conveyed or understood by each party; aircraft systems, ground facilities, weather, traffic, equipment, and staffing affect the carrier's ability to provide an adequate shipping environment; strict adherence to a narrow temperature range is not possible without adequate active or passive packaging systems; and, with increasing fuel costs, shipping animals is not a major revenue stream. So what is needed in the future?
From page 35...
... International Air Transport Association 35 ing dialogue with the aviation industry that currently does not exist. Most of those who have been involved in that part of the business have retired and there is no one to take their places.
From page 36...
... The National Academies are nongovernmental organizations consisting of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. The first three organizations are composed of members elected for their scientific and technological expertise and renown, and the National Research Council is the part of the Academies that produces expert reports on topics that the government requests.
From page 37...
... The science that supports guidelines for animal care and use is inadequate. Until there is solid scientific evidence to support guidelines, it will be difficult to harmonize internationally.
From page 38...
... There has been some difficulty in implementation in the EU member states, as some have pursued significantly more stringent standards than others, and this has led to fragmentation of our internal market in the industry, has compromised harmonization across the European Union, and has also undermined compliance and respect for the law. At the same time, European public opinion -- and not just from so-called animal rights activists -- has moved strongly in support of ever-increasing standards of welfare for animals used for scientific purposes.
From page 39...
... We intend to present a proposal that offers significant improvement in animal welfare, such as more generous and binding minimum standards in housing and care requirements. We are considering extending the coverage of the legislation to some invertebrates as well as embryonic forms of vertebrates and animals killed for tissue and organ use in experiments.
From page 40...
... Similar animal welfare measures are already in place in a number of countries, including the United States and Canada and Australia, whether in legislation or as established operating practices required by funding bodies. Other countries are also increasingly responding to public opinion in pursuit of animal welfare.


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