Chronicle on 2018 Africa Animal Welfare Conference and Africa Animal Law Convention

Abstract

The 2 nd Africa Animal Welfare Conference was held on 3 rd to 5 th September 2018 at the United Nations Environment Complex in Nairobi, Kenya. The event, which is an annual one, is organized by the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) and is co-hosted by the United Nations Environment and the Government of Kenya. It provides a unique opportunity for relevant stakeholders (including veterinarians, NGOs, lawyers, farmers, judges, government, professionals and others) to come together and engage on topics relating to animal welfare, wildlife, environmental conservation and humans. This year, the Conference featured the “Africa Animal Law Convention” held concurrently on the second and third days of the Conference, sponsored and organized by the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School (based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A). This was the first of its kind event held in Africa and featured animal law experts from the continent as well as the U.S.A and Europe, who presented on myriad subjects relating to the interaction between animals and the legal system. The theme for this year’s conference was “ People, Animals and The Planet: One Health, One Welfare”, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these three pillars; the necessity to consider them in combination; and the call to utilize knowledge and skills to generate and implement homegrown solutions.