Animal Law Research: lnternational/Foreign

GAL uses prevention, legislation, enforcement and education to move their agenda in a practical and useful manner. for the health and legal protection and welfare of animals globally.

Humane Society International works around the globe to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms.

IUCN is a global network of nearly 1,400 government and non-governmental organization members and more than 18,000 volunteer experts from over 160 countries working toward pragmatic solutions for biodiversity conservation, climate change; ecosystem management; environmental law; marine and polar species. etc.

This guide focuses primarily on international and foreign law that addresses welfare issues of companion animals, farm animals and animals used in research. It includes links to and information about international treaties, national laws on animal welfare, EU legislation, case law, books, articles and organizations.

World Animal Protection is a mission to end animal cruelty and suffering forever.. This index is a ranking of 50 countries around the globe according to their legislation and policy commitments to protecting animals.

IFAW is an organization working to rescue individual animals, safeguard animal populations, and preserve habitats worldwide. They partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to pioneer innovative ways to help all species flourish.

WOAH works to improve animal health and welfare across the globe by collecting, analyzing and disseminating veterinary scientific information to control of animal health risks. They have developed international standards on animal welfare.

FAO programs play a critical role in strengthening countries’ preparedness and response to reduce the impact of animal health emergencies, particularly in lower income countries with vulnerable infrastructures.

CITES, which was entered in force in 1975, is an international agreement whose aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

In 1978 UNESCO proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, which stated that “all animals have equal rights to exist within the context of biological equilibrium.” The text was revised by the International League of Animal Rights in 1989 and was submitted to the UNESCO Director-General in 1990. The declaration is still in effect.

As an environmental treaty of the United Nations signed in 1979, CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.

The UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection (UNCAHP) is an initiative to globally protect animals at the UN level. Initiated by the Global Animal Law GAL Association, the first draft was released in 2018.

The Animal Protection Index includes county-specific pages for many of the countries of the world that identify related to animal welfare It also includes an option for viewing comparisons of laws across up to 4 jurisdictions at a time.

ECOLEX, operated by the IUCN, UNEP, and FAO, is a comprehensive source of information on global environmental law. You can filter by type of document, keyword, subject, or geographic area. Resources include treaties, COP decisions, legislation, court decisions, and secondary literature relating to animal law, rights, welfare, etc.

FAOLEX is a database of legislation, policies and bilateral agreements on food, agriculture and natural resources management. It includes Fisheries and Aquaculture, Livestock, and Wild Species as Topic areas. It contains legal and policy documents from more than 200 countries and territories.

This site, by Michigan State University, links to statutes, regulations, cases, and scholarly discussions of animal law topics from countries around the world.