History

1920

• In 1920, rinderpest occurred unexpectedly in Belgium, as a result of zebus, originating from India and destined for Brazil, transiting via the port of Antwerp.

1924

• Despite the inevitable slowness of the negotiations undertaken through diplomatic channels, twenty-eight States obtained an “international agreement” on 25 January 1924. The ratification of this  1924 Agreement creating the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) based in Paris eflects a desire clearly expressed by the Secretary General of the League of Nations.

1927

• By the beginning of 1927, the Agreement of 1924 had already been ratified by twenty-four States, countries or dominions, and the International Committee of the Office held its first General Session on 8 March 1927. Twenty-six Delegates were present. The Assembly chose Inspector General De Roo, Delegate of Belgium, as President and Prof. Leclainche was appointed first Director of the Office. The Assembly decided to publish a Bulletin.

1928

• On 30 January 1928, the first Conference met in Geneva. Consisting of eight experts, it established the basis for an international sanitary police. This latter stated that “only sanitary documents emanating from nations with correctly organised veterinary services can be considered as providing importers with sufficient guarantees”.

1929

• During the General Session in 1929, the Committee of the OIE established a “Permanent Commission for Administration and Control”, which later became the OIE Administrative Commission, whose responsibility was to represent the International Committee in the interval between General Sessions.

1939

• The Director General, Dr Leclainche, purchased the building at 12, rue de Prony in the seventeenth arrondissement of Paris, which the Office has occupied ever since.

1942

• In 1942, under the German occupation of Paris, the idea of transferring the headquarters of the Office to Berlin (Germany) was raised. It was only the intervention of Dr G. Flückiger (Switzerland), acting President of the OIE International Committee, that prevented this plan from being carried out.

1951

• The United Nations, which replaced the League of Nations in 1945, established two specialist Agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1946 and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. Their aims partially covered those of the Office. The presence of these two Agencies called the existence of the OIE into question and the possibility of simply dissolving the organisation was envisaged in 1946, and again in 1951. Thanks to the opposition of numerous OIE Member Countries and Delegates, the functions of the Office were kept alive.

1952

• Official agreement between the OIE and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

1957

• After the signing of the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Community in 1957, the OIE lent its support to the first attempts to harmonise animal health legislation within the Community.

1960

• Official agreement between the OIE and the World Health Organization (WHO).

1993

• Official agreement between the OIE and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

1998

• Official agreement between the OIE and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

1999

• Official agreement between the OIE and the Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (OIRSA).
• Official agreement between the OIE and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

2000

• Adoption of the Strategic Plan for 2001-2005.
• Official agreement between the OIE and the Pan American health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

2001

• Adoption of the Working Plan for 2001-2005 of the new Director General.
• Official agreement between the OIE and the World Bank.

2002

• Official agreement between the OIE and the Organization of African Unity – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (OUA-IBAR) .
• Official agreement between the OIE and the World Veterinary Association (WVA).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and CAB International.  
• Exchange of letters with the President of Codex alimentarius.  
• New official agreement between the OIE and the World Health Organization (WHO).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).

2003

• The International Office of Epizootics becomes the World Organisation for Animal health, but keeps its historical acronym OIE.  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the International Dairy Federation (IDF).
• Annex to the official agreement between the OIE and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).
• Official agreement between the OIE and the Economic Commission on Cattle, Meat and Fish resources in CEMAC (CEBEVIRHA).

2004

• New official agreement between the OIE and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).  
• Official exchange of letters between the OIE and the Commission of the European Communities (EC).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the Andean Community.  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the International Association for Biologicals (IABs).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).  
• Official agreement between the OIE and the International Meat Secretariat (IMS).  
• Extension of the official agreement between the OIE and CABInternational (CABI).

1924-2004

• The OIE counts 167 Members.

2005

• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Permanent Veterinary Committee of the Southern Cone (PVC).  
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the General Secretariat of the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (SAARC).  
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP).  
• Fourth Strategic Plan of the OIE.  
• Re-election of Dr. Bernard Vallat as OIE Director-General for a five-year mandate.
• 7th-9th November Geneva Conference National Veterinary Services are recognised as an International Public Good. Their improvement via internal or external evaluation, particularly in developing countries, is central to the management of the avian influenza world crisis or other zoonoses and emerging and re-emerging animal diseases. (Geneva Conference)

2006

• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the International Egg Commission (IEC)
• Members of the World Organisation for Animal Health Administrative Commission, Regional Commissions and Specialist Commissions are elected by the International Committee. Dr Barry O’Neil becomes President of the OIE for a three-year mandate.

2007

• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Council for Laboratory Animals (ICLAS)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Internatioanl Federation for Animal Health (IFAH)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and CABInternational
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and SSAFE “Safe Supply of Affordable Food for Everyone Everywhere”

2008

• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMOU)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Poultry Council (IPC)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS)

2009

• 85th anniversary of the creation of the OIE
• Election of Dr Correa Messuti from Uruguay as new President of the Assembly of OIE for a three-year term of office. He succeeded Dr Barry O’Neil from New Zealand
• A cooperation agreement was signed between the OIE and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

2010

The Delegates of the 176 OIE Members adopted the 5th Strategic Plan which sets a roadmap for OIE global missions in animal health and welfare over the years 2011-2015.
The Plan sets new fields of action for the organisation:

• More activities directed to food security, poverty alleviation and animal health and veterinary public health;
• More focus on the “One Health” concept and other matters of cooperation with partner organisations;
• The impact of climate and environmental changes on animal disease emergence and occurrence as well as the impact of animal production on climate change.

The Plan also provides for a continuation of priorities emphasized in the previous Plans, in particular the 4 th Strategic Plan (2006-2010).

2011

• World Veterinary Year
• The Delegates of the 178 member Countries adopted a revision of the General Rules and other texts as a part of the modernization process of the OIE Basic Texts, to ensure consistency of operating procedures and rules.
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)

2012

• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the international Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
• Agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA)
• Election of Dr Karin Schwabenbauer from Germany as new President of the Assembly of OIE for a three-year term of office. She succeeded Dr Carlos Correa Messuti from Uruguay

2014

• 90th anniversary of the establishment of the OIE 
• The OIE recalls its commitment = 90 years of Standards, Transparency, Expertise and Solidarity.
• The OIE comprises 180 Member Countries.

2015

• Dr Michael Modisane (South Africa) was elected new President of the World Assembly of Delegates for a three-year term, thus succeeding Dr Karin Schwabenbauer (Germany).
• The Assembly adopted the 6th Strategic Plan for the period 2016-2020.

2022

• The World Organisation for Animal Health reveals is new brand identity and furthers the use of its full name with the acronym, WOAH (OMSA in French and Spanish)