The Regional Office for the Near East of the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO/RNE) in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) will organize a Workshop on “Animal Identification, Traceability and Performance Recording”, in Aleppo, Syria.

The workshop will take place during the period from Monday 2 till Wednesday 4 March 2009, with the participation of experts from eleven countries of the region:  Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, as well as FAO experts from the Headquarters in Rome and the Regional Office for the Near East in Cairo.

It is worth to note that animal identification based in particular brand is an ancestral practice in different countries. Over the past few years, traceability systems used to identify animals, monitor their movements and trace animal products have evolved considerably. The emergence of transboundary animal disease and zoonotic and food born disease  crises have caused major disruptions to trade and emphasized the need to improve traceability techniques for live animals and animal products, especially in the framework of international trade.

The objective of the workshop is to contribute to the development of harmonized procedures for the animal identification, traceability and animal products & requirements for animal health, public health, international trade and certification in the Near East Region.