FAO.org

Between 10-13 July, 2023, LEGN joined over 100 participants from 26 countries in the African Regional Lessons Learned Workshop for Implementation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) National Action Plans (NAPs) in Dakar, Senegal. This was a Quadripartite event organized collaboratively by FAO, WHO, WOAH and UNEP in Africa.  

The aim of the workshop was to share progress made to combat AMR in the context of countries’  implementation of their first NAPs and the challenges remaining. Countries reached a strong consensus on the importance of Multisectoral AMR Governance Mechanisms to be formally established to ensure they are operational and sustainable. Resource mobilization, awareness raising, capacity building, as well as enhanced surveillance systems were highlighted as common challenges that should be urgently addressed.  

Most countries also referenced their regulatory frameworks relevant to AMR. Some countries have taken steps to revise their laws and regulations, while others recognize they are outdated and do not address AMR. The need for revision and updating of legal frameworks relevant to AMR has therefore been highlighted as an area requiring action.

The legal teams of FAO, WHO and WOAH, collaborating under the AMR MPTF Global Legal Project, presented the One Health Legislative Assessment Tool for AMR (OHLAT) to the African Region. The importance of legislation to turn policy objectives into legally binding obligations, its capacity to clearly stipulate roles and responsibilities of authorities and stakeholders, as well as its enforcement mechanisms, were underlined.

The OHLAT, that build on the FAO Methodology analyse AMR-Relevant Legislation in the Food and Agriculture Sector, was developed to assist countries to assess their national legal frameworks in all sectors that may affect AMR, either directly or indirectly, AMR.

Based on a sound assessment under the guidance of international reference standards, countries will have the possibility to take informed decisions on what legal reforms should be prioritized to strengthen their regulatory responses to AMR. The OHLAT stresses the fact that, in general terms, there is no need for specific legislation on AMR. On the contrary, most regulatory mechanisms can be incorporated within the sectoral legislation. The exception to this general recommendation is the legal instrument formalizing AMR governance structures for multisectoral coordination in the country. 

The OHLAT has been piloted in four countries, including Morocco and Zimbabwe, in the African region. The results of the assessments conducted by national consultants with the supervision of international experts from FAO, WHO, and WOAH were shared with national authorities at national validation workshops that concluded with a list of priorities for legal reform.  
The OHLAT will be launched in September 2023 and will be available online.  

For more information, contact: Carmen.Bullon@fao.org