Regional OIE ‘Train-the-Trainer’ workshop on animal welfare during transport and slaughter for Balkan countries

The first OIE ‘Train-the-Trainer’ workshop on animal welfare during (transport and) slaughter for Balkan countries was organised for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.

The workshop used the recognized OIE ‘Train the Trainer’ methodology, and was therefore composed of three sessions:

1^st session held in Skopje, FYR of Macedonia between 10-13 October 2017, (Agenda), 
2^nd session held in Tirana, Albania between 6-10 November 2107, (Agenda),
3^rd secession, conference session held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12-13 December 2017, (Agenda).

During the workshop, thirteen ‘Trainers’ gained a good understanding OIE standard on animal welfare during transport and slaughter and were also trained on how to transfer the knowledge acquired to national stakeholders, through cascading activities in their countries.

Cascading activities conducted in the 6 countries:

The most important phase in the OIE train-the-trainer workshops is the ‘post workshop' stage, when the trainees and  their Delegate and/or CVO plan and implement ‘cascading activities’ at national level.The activities that are expected to be carried out at national level after the workshop cover:

• upgrading national legislation as relevant
• enhancing initial professional education
• organising workshops for veterinary inspectors at national, provincial and district levels, and the sustainable integration of the topic in the national programme of continuing education
• raising business operators’ awareness on their responsibilities. 

Six months after completion of the workshop (in June 2018),  the OIE Platform Secretariat will send a questionnaire to countries to understand which cascading activities have been conducted so far. The results will be posted here.