PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS V.Kouba 3 May 2001 Last amendment: 10 April 2013 Addendum I and Addendum II.
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PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS V.Kouba 3 May 2001 Last amendment: 10 April 2013 Addendum I and Addendum II INTERNATIONAL TRADE - COMPARISON BETWEN ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES - I =================================================================== CRITERION ANIMAL COMMODITIES INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES =================================================================== Availability of reduced standards reliable or minimum technical parameters information or zero for importing country on quality ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Certification of nil (replaced by incomplete complete quality information covering only including risks of side effects limited number of pathogens) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Declaration of nil obligatory side effects risks (not required by current (part of quality international certificate) organizations !?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Guarantee nil or incomplete complete responsibility relative absolute (100%) almost non controllable controllable no guarantee for pathogen free export ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Duration of zero or short (weeks) long (months – years) quality guarantee if any ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reclamation exceptional normal practice of defects or not existing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Covering losses by traders not existing normal practice or exceptional by taxpayers current never -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk for traders not existing always to pay losses or exceptional -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deficiency very difficult relatively easy detection (prove) or impossible INTERNATIONAL TRADE - COMPARISON BETWEN ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES – II ==================================================================== CRITERION ANIMAL COMMODITIES INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES ==================================================================== Risk analysis very problematic z e r o r i s k import no enough data = = normal risky import -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk influencing enormous number very limited factors including biological ones (inanimate products) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deficiency multiplying due to local only consequences territorial spreading and not spreading transfer to next generations; up to catastrophic impact ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Feasibility to minimum or relatively easy restore zero = irreparable reparable ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ability to yes; often pathogen changes: no change to worse new strains, drug resistance, virulence increase, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ability of yes; often irreparable product life-time limit consequences long-time short to last ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ability to very often no reproduce negative consequences ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Need for protective yes no measures ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk of affecting yes no problem health including man health or minimum ================================================================== COMPARISON OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM USED FOR TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS BEFORE AND AFTER 1995 *) ========================================================================== CRITERION BEFORE 1995 AFTER 1995 (reduced instead of more and better information) ========================================================================== Global yearbooks - FAO/OIE/WHO Animal Health yearbook (abolished after 40 years) - OIE World Animal Health OIE World Animal Health -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Disease occurrence - exceptional cases abolished regular reporting on - sporadic cases abolished - low sporadic occurrence abolished - enzootic occurrence abolished - high occurrence abolished - ubiquitous occurrence abolished - only in imported animals abolished - recognized for the the first time abolished - disease exists, occurrence unknown abolished a l l replaced by one non interpretable "+" = reported present or known to be present --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Data on zoonoses reported abolished (except 2) in humans (22 diseases) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Analytic data HANDISTAT software + mapping for 1. version providing abolished and decision on many useful methods, after 3 years replaced by a “new” import information and analyses significantly reduced version; of animal diseases in the (mainly data available world including maps in OIE World Animal Health) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Availability of only official numbers data sent by Chief Veterinary data on livestock sent by member country Officers usually in discrepancy (necessary for governments for FAO in comparison with official morbidity Production Yearbook data provided by governments evaluation) ========================================================================== *) World Trade Organization “Agreement of the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures”, 1994 AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY OF DATA ON ANIMAL DISEASES OCCURRENCE COLLECTED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AS REPORTED BY INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES ================================================================================ CRITERION S T A T U S ================================================================================ Notifiability Internationally notifiable diseases (OIE List A,B,C) cover only about 1/10 of known infectious diseases species, i.e. about 9/10 are not notifiable, not reported and not controlled: situation is unknown = they can spread freely locally as well as through trade (not covered by veterinary certificates, not included in the risk assessment); not considering emerging diseases and new pathogen strains ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Detectability of clinical detectability from 0 to 100 %; in chronic diseases close notifiable diseases to zero; major in case of active surveys using adequate sampling methods and tests with high sensibility; the rest is not discovered = not reported = situation unknown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Numeric data on incomplete, strong underreporting = not corresponding with notifiable diseases the reality = untrue data confusing decision makers; no clear as internationally difference between disease incidence and prevalence reported -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Information on active not included in international information system investigations (to be (in spite of several repeated recommendations by the author) able to distinguish reports based on testing or only on ad hoc reports) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Information on missing (also in otherwise outstanding OIE Manual of diagnostic tests standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines) in all specific quality, i.e. diseases – no information on false negative results frequency ability to detect specific disease - sensitivity -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Availability of incomplete or not available at all; quantification not reliable; reliable data on exact processing of inexact data conduces to the confusion of animal diseases decision makers. (Computers, information software, risk assessment modelling or administrative work in offices cannot replace for international active field investigations providing much more reliable data ) trade ================================================================================= Motto: “Garbage in, garbage out !” COMPARISON OF THE DOCUMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF REFERENCE SYSTEM ESTABLISHED BY WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION TO FOR ANIMAL TRADE BEFORE AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES” (WTO/SPS), 1995 - I ========================================================================================================= CRITERION BEFORE AFTER ========================================================================================================= Concept health first trade (profit – business) first following WTO/SPS policy also at the expense of animal and human health --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Objectives to avoid diseases to admit, even to support, diseases spreading spreading not requiring animals to be healthy, i.e. requiring products not to be pathogen free harmful, i.e. to be pathogen free; export instead very problematic “measures” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------OIE Code text "avoid the risk "Import risk analysis is of spreading" preferable to a zero risk approach“ zero risk approach = risky import, i.e. „unimpeded flow“ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------Obligatoriness recommendations, i.e. obligations (regulation instead of liberalization) freedom for decision i.e. dictating limits for importing on import conditions country protection --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Import recommendations obligatory m a x i m u m (limit) for health guarantee conditions of m i n i m u m without freedom health requirements for health to improve them as necessary, i.e. guarantee guarantee with freedom to d i c t a t e avoiding importing complement them, i.e. to country to require necessary improve them as protection; necessary = the right exception only if “scientifically of importing country justified” (!?) by not quantifiable risk assessment *) to require better protection -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Right full reduced or no right of importing to ask for necessary country to decide protection (however, legal on its own protection responsibility for country protection is left) ======================================================================================================== *) WTO SPS and mentioned documents themselves are not scientifically justified (only consented) and they were agreed by the member countries without having available any assessment of potential risks, i.e. not being informed about negative impacts. Note: Importing countries need guarantee of harmless commodities, i.e. free of pathogens avoiding post-import problems, and not wordy papers about falsely defined “measures” and incomplete information on exporting animal or animal products health quality. COMPARISON OF REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS BEFORE AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF THE SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES”, 1995 - II =============================================================================== CRITERION BEFORE AFTER ========================================================================= ====== Quality up to 1995 "business first" also requirement "health first" at the expense of priority = harmless animal/human health export/import = harmful export/import -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Permitting no yes quality deficiency (pathogens) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Requiring pathogen-free export yes no ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Quality steady increase sudden decrease (as never before) tendency = degradation requirement (only in animal trade !) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Need for written nonsense obligatory by risk assessment documents justification of unknown practice as never before (only in animal trade !?!) commodity refuse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Requirement grade demanding import benevolent export conditions, i.e. for animal health conditions motivated permitting risky improvement through exporting countries export without effective national disease control to recover animal control programmes (e.g. abusing programmes population health self-declaration of “disease-free (eradication, etc.) = basic motivation zones” in spite of high incidence in the country) = lost motivation for animal health improvement --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Consequences in organization of local prefering strategy “doing nothing” diseases control and national eradication, (due to reduced pressure on prevailing strategy elimination and reduction export pathogen-free animals of selected diseases and animal products) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Preparation of usually adequate mostly inadequate (due to minimization of veterinary services courses in population preventive medicine and for trade problems in diagnosis of healthy animals and products) ========================================================================== ======= COMPARISON OF REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS BEFORE AND AFTER WTO “AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF THE SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES”, 1995 - III ========================================================================================= CRITERION BEFORE AFTER ========================================================================================= Risk current – voluntarily; obligatory; not respecting all aspects; assessment flexible; quantification incomplete due to absence logical; of necessary data; complex; not convincing methodology = practical approach aiming at artificially minimizing from importing country the risk (camouflage to “facilitate protection needs trade”); theoretical approach from exporting country profit aspects --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Attests mainly mainly issuing government private often d e p e n d e n t officers independent (sometimes existentially) on (incl. investigations on producers and/or producers and/or on the spot) exporters exporters --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Attest reliability usually high usually low (not confirming pathogen-free status) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Accredited relatively demanding mass phenomenon veterinarians tests and strict selection more benevolent selection, often (due to lack of of better prepared without demanding tests of gov. officers) professionals insufficiently prepared professionals --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Corruption of export less frequency higher frequency attests issuing due to stricter control due to more benevolent and non frequent inspection, veterinarians by government officers if any, on the spot by gov. service --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Supervising usually frequent after minimization of gov. services private by significantly reduced (former government strong gov. services dismantled) veterinarians and somewhere close to zero -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Supervising usually frequent minimal or nil private diag. laboratories ========================================================================== ============== PREVAILING CONDITIONS FOR ANIMAL DISEASES SPREADING THROUGH INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT =========================================================================== CRITERION IN THE PAST IN THE PRESENT =========================================================================== Size of trade in animals comparative basic multiplied and animal products value = 100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Trade increase slow - controllable speedy -almost uncontrollable ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Number limited enormous of commodity usually controllable almost uncontrollable origin localities by gov. veterinary services by gov. veterinary services --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Commodity limited enormous destination and final usually controllable uncontrollable distribution localities by gov. veterinary services by gov. veterinary services --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Territory of commodity limited often enormous origin usually controllable usually uncontrollable --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Trade distances usually limited up to anywhere on the planet --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Trade transport slowly increasing rapid to anywhere speed in one/few days --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Veterinary attests mostly by independent mostly by dependent issuing (including government officers private veterinarians investigations) and laboratories and laboratories --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Animal disease control priority of veterinary minimizing due to economic (testing, prevention, services, government pressure and minimizing eradication programmes) and international government services and organizations support diagnostic laboratories ========================================================================== DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISEASE R I S K A S S E S S M E N T REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FOR LOCAL PROBLEM SOLUTIONS ======================================================================== CRITERION RISK ASSESSMENT FOR RISK ASSESSMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE LOCAL PROBLEM SOLUTIONS ======================================================================== Risk requiring complex approach admitting not to consider all assessment considering all basic factors basic influencing factors; principle to avoid disease evaluate „export“, i.e. to g r a d e of d i s e a s e r i s k document z e r o r i s k with respective exactness for animal/human h e a l t h sufficient for the local or national by the exporting country problems solution ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk active approach to discover not so demanding as for assessment animal health/disease reality the international trade; tools in the territory and it depends on the purpose - for (approach) population for export general orientation less demanding (field and laboratory than for the preparation and investigations cannot be evaluation of disease eradication replaced by computer programme data processing or mathematical models) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk using the most complex not so demanding as for assessment and the most exact tests, the international trade investigations investigate all animals and products to be exported; for the others using the most representative sampling ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk diagnosis of the h e a l t h usually diagnosis of d i s e a s e assessment based on individual based on individual and/or population purposes and epizootiological investigations or on processing complex investigations reported data ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Risk disease spread disease spread locally with relatively assessment internationally up limited consequences in comparison error to other continents with international spread consequences with serious up to catastrophic consequences ======================================================================== Notes: Every case is different. Uniform methodology does not exist. To confirm health (freedom from pathogens) is much more demanding than to confirm a disease or pathogen. The same is valid for animal products innocuousness. Biological phenomena are usually not quantifiable (measurable) and therefore disease risk assessments are very often not convincing. DEVELOPMENT OF VETERINARY SERVICES ABILITY TO CONTROL INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS ========================================================================================================= CRITERION THE PAST THE PRESENT ======================================================================== ================================= Service approach active avoiding disease passive expectation of disease introduction/ in importing introduction/spreading spreading – “fire brigade” concept countries - preventive concept -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Undergraduate reasonable balance considerable imbalance in favour education and between preventive of individual curative medicine training and curative medicine minimizing preventive + population (between population and medicine = insufficient (or zero) individual medicine) preparation for trade needs, e.g., for ability to diagnose freedom from transmissible diseases pathogens at individual, group and population levels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ability of relatively good limited up to zero due to government due to its staff, minimizing government control services to budget, facilities role, i.e. service staff, budget, facilities, control export and other public support; considerable dismantlement effectively support due to privatization (somewhere incl. issuing attests ad absurdum) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Accredited strict selection benevolent selection; veterinarians special training and insufficient training often issuing attests examinations without examinations, i.e. usual impact: for export on attest not enough reliable = diseases “export“ behalf of government -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Accredited dtto dtto diagnostic minimal or zero supervision by laboratories government services -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Supporting reasonable balance considerable imbalance in favour of research between preventive individual curative medicine minimizing and curative medicine preventive and population medicine (between population and (priority at herd-flock level only) research individual medicine); and almost total underestimation of relatively sufficient diseases spreading through trade; deep gap between theory and practice ! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ability to control limited, but carrying out minimal - due to reduced public services, inf. diseases many successful disease lost motivation and extreme benevolence to facilitate trade eradications as condition for exporting countries in documents (export) for export of key international organizations ======================================================================================================== WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (WTO/SPS) – COMMENTS I ========================================================================================== P r e p a r a t i o n: No any scientific approach, no any risk assessment was presented to governments. The document was not based on scientific principles, scientific oponency and on complex analysis of practical impact. U s e of f a l s e a r g u m e n t s such as in “attractive” Preamble: “Desiring to improve the human health, animal health in all Members;” This is a historical l i e , no one word of this document is dedicated to health improvement ! In contrast, the whole document is concerned only how to facilitate trade at the expense of human and animal health in importing countries = irresponsible cheating member country governments. The true was deliberately concealed ! Otherwise this „document“ could not be accepted ! A d o p t i o n : During ministerial meeting in Marrakesh on 15 April 1994 the document was approved, in good faith in WTO HQs fairness, thanks to wilfully incorrect ly informed participants being asked to accept it in bloc with other documents as condition sine qua non for WTO membership, not permitting discussions on the particular subject. C o n c e p t : Full support to the export also at the expense of animal and human health, permitting and even supporting infection diseases “export” and their international spreading. U n i l a t e r a l a p p r o a c h: Duties and responsibilities only for importing countries minimizing their rights to protect their populations; maximizing the right of exporting countries to export also if their exporting commodities are not pathogens-free; no one world on the duties of exporting country to cover the losses due to the export of inadequate health quality (export of infectious diseases), often with catastrophic consequences. I n e q u a l i t y : Discrimination of importing countries, mainly the developing ones, having weak government veterinary services (staff and diagnostic laboratories in terms of quantity and quality) very often unable: to resist the pressure of the exporting and importing countries businessmen, politicians, international organizations, to carry out adequate risk assessment (mainly due to missing information on true health status in exporting country and lack of specialists), to control and investigate imported animals and animal commodities, to control “imported” diseases conducing to the deterioration of the national situation (additionally to negative consequences of dumping prices of imported commodities), i.e. increasing the need for more import, often problematic from the health quality point of view. ========================================================================================== WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES (WTO/SPS) – COMMENTS II ========================================================================================== THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THE WTO/SPS WAS TO “FACILITATE TRADE” AND TO INCREASE BUSINESS PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF ANIMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH ! WTO/SPS does not know words such as “healthy animals”, “disease free animals”, “pathogen-free animal products”, “innocuous animal products” , etc. WTO/SPS changed the fair practice in international trade, normal for all commodities, which was sufficient in the past also for the trade in animal and animal products: a) instead to protect the farmers, animal owners, products users, food consumers of importing countries – protects the businessmen of exporting countries (profit first, not quality = health first) b) instead to protect importing country against introduction of infections through trade – supports exporting countries to export at the expense of animal and human health in importing countries c) instead to let the countries themselves to find solutions on bilateral basis (including eventual compromises) - dictates importing countries to limit their protective measures and to accept also non healthy animals, no pathogen-free products, etc. d) instead to require exporting countries to guarantee the health / sanitary quality = harmlessness and to document it in convincing and proper manner – dictates importing countries to “scientifically” document the refuse or their import conditions through diseases risk assessments in spite of the fact that necessary information are not available; e) instead to require exporting country to inform in advance importing country and declare in written form (as normal “label” in non-animal commodities) the true about health quality of the animal commodities, e.g. to warn about the risks (“side effects”) and accepting full responsibility for covering their possible negative impacts – requires the duties only for importing countries to accept insufficient guarantee and to import “problems” with often catastrophic consequences; f) instead to require import conditions to be sufficient for the importing country – requires conditions not guaranteeing country protection, such as to accept to import the commodity infected by agents already existing in importing country (i.e. to make situation worse), not to ask for stricter import conditions than usually for national trade (not respecting fact, that the situation at home is always better known than the situation in foreign countries), etc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Note: History does not know any official international documents requiring that purchaser must scientifically justify in written the refuse or his conditions; in fair trade the seller must try to convince the purchaser about the merchandise quality. Reverse logic and professional incompetence represent the characteristics of the WTO/SPS. Behind this document there were also those newly dominated the OIE changing its basic duty to protect animal health against transmissible diseases. ADDENDUM I E-mail sent on 18 January 2009 to Barak O b a m a, USA President-Elect within the program „Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team/Health Care – Of the People, By the People“. • • • • • • • • • • Re: Urgent need for stopping internationally organized spread of infections through trade detrimental to health of US citizens In order to protect health of US citizen against imported infections through trade in animals and their products, there is a need to restore normal fair principles also for these commodities. The US consumers, farmers and traders must have again the right to demand the imported food of animal origin as well as the animals to be free of infections causing mass suffering and premature death, i.e. to demand full sanitary quality. This right has been abolished by World Trade Organization (WTO) and International Office of Epizootics (OIE) prohibiting, even under international sanctions, to refuse these commodities when being not sanitary innocuous, i.e. without infection-free guarantee. The policy of both organizations is also avoiding sanitary guarantee documents and therefore the US consumers, farmers and traders cannot be informed if the imported commodity is or not free of infection pathogens. Paying country must have again the freedom to decide on the import conditions without any external interference. To import the infections is relatively easy, however to detect and eradicate them is very difficult up to impossible and then they can continue to spread and last for a very long time in affected populations (multiplying impact). Imported infections are also detrimental to US biosphere. Solution: to use US international initiative in abolishing all WTO and OIE documents and provisions supporting spread of infections through trade; normal fair trade principles to be applied again also on the above mentioned commodities. Detailed information was sent to Mr. Al Gore, Former US Vice President. Prof. MVDr Václav K o u b a, DrSc. Formerly: Chief, Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Veterinary Public Health Expert, World Health Organization (WHO); Informatics Expert, International Office of Epizootics (OIE); Editor-in-Chief, global FAO/WHO/OIE Animal Health Yearbook; Professor of Epizootiology, University of Veterinary Science, Brno ADDENDUM I - CONTINUATION • • Following correspondence: On September 07, 2012 the author answered e-mail sent him by Mr. Barack O b a m a, President of the United States of America, as follows: • • • “Dear Barack, thanks for your e-mail dated August 03, 2012. I would like to exploit this opportunity and remind you my e-mail sent you on 18 January 2009 within the program „Change. gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team/Health Care – Of the People, By the People“. Text of my e-mail was entitled „Urgent need for stopping internationally organized spread of infections through trade detrimental to health of US Citizen“. Copy is attached. Full text to Mr. Al Gore can be found under http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/ALGORE.htm. More information can be found on my website http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz, namely in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/warnings.htm containing warning letters sent to United Nations Secretary General, DG of World Trade Organization (WTO), DG of International Office of Epizootics (OIE), etc.. Unfortunately, my suggestions are still valid because the globalization of animal infections (including transmissible to man) through international trade being supported by WTO and OIE continues getting more and more massive and irreparable character. Regards, Vaclav” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • • • • • • • In this context the author responded on February 11, 2013 to the e-mail sent him by Mr. John Forbes K e r r y, United States Senator for Massachusetts and Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who was appointed on February 01, 2013 as US Secretary of State: • • • “Dear John, thanks very much for your e-mail sent me on July 27, 2012. I would like to use this occasion to inform you, new US Secretary of State, about one extremely important international issue regarding the health of all present and future human and animal populations in the world: policy of “legally“ supported globalization of dangerous infections through international trade in animals and their products. Of many hundreds of animal infection species causing mass sufferings and premature deaths are almost two hundred transmissible to man. Sanitary, economic, ecological and social steadily increasing global consequences of this policy are incomparably much larger than the impact of present terrorism in the whole world. For the “import” of infectious disease pathogens is sufficient only one moment while the detection and eradication of them are extremely difficult up to unreal when the imported pathogens, able to reproduce and spread, penetrate into populations of wild animals. There is an urgent need to abolish (or replace) international documents and all provisions admitting, facilitating and even supporting export of infectious disease pathogens at the expense of human and animal health in importing countries! The first document is World Trade Organization (WTO) “Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures" not requiring exported animal commodities to be of full sanitary safety, i.e. to be free of infectious disease pathogens. The second document is “Animal Health Code for International Trade” being issued annually by International Office of Epizootics (OIE) supporting fully WTO anti-sanitary policy conducing to international spread and globalization of dangerous infections. Text of my protest as former Chief, Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations sent to Director General of the WTO requiring and justifying the abolishment of the mentioned WTO document can be found in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/WTOTEXT3.htm. Similar protesting letters sent to Director General of the OIE and to some other international authorities can be found in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/warnings.htm and detailed analysis of the OIE document in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/oiecode.htm. I informed Mr. Barak Obama, President of the United States on January 18, 2009 within the program „Change. gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team/Health Care – Of the People, By the People“. Text of this e-mail was entitled „Urgent need for stopping internationally organized spread of infections through trade detrimental to health of US citizens“. Similar e-mail I sent on September 07, 2012. Both self-explanatory texts are attached. Regards, Vaclav” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Note: The author was addressed by his first name, therefore he responded in the same way. • • • • • • • • • ADDENDUM II AGRICULTURA TROPICA ET SUBTROPICA V, 4O5L/1. ,4 551 -(513), 2200112 Book Review „The spread of pathogens through international trade“, OIE Scientifi c and Technical Review, Vol. 30 (1) April 2011, ISSN 0253-1933, ISBN: 978-92-9044-837-2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The publication of 370 pages contains 26 papers edited by S.C. MacDiarmid from New Zealand, a key member of International Office of Epizootics (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission. The title reflects the most important problem of global animal health - the mass spread of communicable diseases causing incalculable millions of sick and dead animals and humans due to pathogens introduced through international trade. The papers represent only compilations from selected publications uncritically supporting OIE trade policy facilitating spread of pathogens at the expense of health in importing countries. Publications and references critical to this policy are missing at all, thus confirming the absence of basic scientific principles such as audiatur et altera pars. The numbers of references fluctuate from 2 to 230 sources per paper. The minimum belongs to the paper of A.B. Thiermann, President of the OIE Terrestrial Code, with the same ideas repeated many times in previous publications and conferences, staunchly propagating World Trade Organization (WTO) policy conducing to spread of pathogens. One might get the impression that the OIE acts as in service of the WTO. Not a single paper is seriously considering the natural ability of imported pathogens to reproduce and spread affecting enormous number of animals and humans of actual and future generations, and thus multiplying all negative sanitary, economic, social and ecological consequences. The introduction of pathogens is relatively facile (even in one moment), however their eradication is very difficult if not impossible. No one paper is trying to analyze the important role of the OIE in spread of pathogens through international trade. All authors, except for one, refer to so called “risk assessment” (5 papers have the “risk” in title) when according to the “OIE standard” the importing countries must present to the exporting ones scientifically based convincing justification of the risk if they refuse pathogen-non-free import without full quality guarantee. Similar absurd requirement is unknown in any other commodity where the • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • sellers must convince the buyers and not conversely. As the consequence the pathogen-non-free commodities imported obligatorily (even under threat of WTO penalty) are paid as for pathogen-free ones. It is known that this incredible trick, based on subjective estimate of non-quantifiable biological phenomenon, facilitating export of animal infection pathogens, was initiated by the Editor of this publication. He belongs together with R.K. Bruckner (author of two papers) to OIE group that eliminated international reporting on animal infections’ import in the middle of the 1990s. In this way it was made impossible to analyze the spread of pathogens through international trade, to evaluate its causes and to expose or uncover the catastrophic “results” of OIE trade policy reminding of international terrorism. This artificial camouflage has prevented member country governments and world public from obtaining truthful information on spread of global pathogens through trade. Therefore, the authors could not present any new concrete data on the mass spread of pathogens through international trade and any scientifically based analysis of its causes. The same OIE group minimized the reporting on occurrence of diseases (reduced to a “+”) and making it impossible for importing countries to estimate realistically the disease introduction risk. This again facilitates the export of pathogens. At that time also government control services were minimized and were replaced by non-public ones, generally known as less reliable and more susceptible to corruption. This fact multiplies the chance for the spread of pathogens through international trade. (cont.) ADDENDUM II - Continuation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • No one paper comments on the “OIE standards” not requiring trade in healthy animals and products (pathogen-free export), not requiring full quality guarantee certificates as it is normal in any other commodity, admitting and even supporting export of the pathogens. OIE model certificates require only sanitary information and not sanitary guarantee, i.e. guaranteeing nothing. Therefore the importing country cannot claim the introduction of pathogens and must solve the post-import losses itself. No one paper supports explicitly full sanitary quality export to avoid spread of pathogens through international trade. We are witnessing a very well prepared trickery facilitating pathogen-non-free export at the expense of human and animal health in importing countries. The problem is not theoretically estimated uncontrollable “risk assessment” or its “mitigation” (i.e. admitting limited import of pathogens) as repeatedly mentioned in almost all papers. The problem is very practical - to avoid international spread of pathogens requiring to export healthy animals and their products, i.e. innocuous ones not causing post-import problems. In spite of all my effort I could not find in the whole publication this normal requirement as well as even the words “pathogen-free animals” or “pathogen-free animal products”. On the other hand I could find many demagogical formulations such as “ensuring safe international trade” while it de facto means ensuring unsafe trade. The benevolent trade policy of OIE facilitating export of pathogens has allowed in the majority of exporting countries to prefer the cheapest “doing nothing” strategy against animal infections deteriorating the national animal population health. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The publication is exaggeratedly favourable to the OIE (“independent” inter-governmental organization outside of the United Nations) unfair trade policy conducing consciously to globalization of animal infections through international trade in contrast to the UN policy trying to improve global animal population health (e.g. global rinderpest eradication in 2010). The publication, reminding us of products of advertising agencies, as a whole supports without convincing arguments the OIE policy preferring export business before consistent protection of animal health against communicable diseases (OIE original basic duty) in spite of irreparable lasting disastrous sanitary impacts in the whole world. Conscious support or even organization of such spread of pathogens belongs among criminal acts. The authors´ warning and protesting letters see in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/warnings.htm. Scientifi c publications require a well balanced approach based on objective truth supported by concrete data and not unilateral uncritical propagation of an organization policy (moreover, questionable) as it is in this case. • Václav Kouba