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One Health

© FAO Petterik Wiggers

Quadripartite collaboration on One Health

In March 2022, four international agencies – FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), signed a groundbreaking agreement to strengthen cooperation to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. This partnership extended the former Tripartite (FAO, WHO and WOAH) and marked a new era of One Health collaboration.

The Quadripartite agencies develop and implement multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches to complex health challenges at the animal-human-plant-environment interface, with particular focus on antimicrobial resistance and emerging zoonotic diseases. Initial areas of cooperation also include emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases (including foodborne AMR and diseases), antimicrobial resistance, food safety, environmental determinants of health and strengthening of health systems.  

Effective One Health planning, communication, collaboration and response efforts occur when government officials, policy makers, researchers and practitioners join forces across sectors at the local, national, regional and global levels. The Quadripartite supports their Members or State Parties in One Health and embraces, collaboration, coordination and capacity building. At the global level, the Quadripartite advocates for One Health implementation at international events, such as G20 Meetings, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and the World One Health Congress. 

Coordination and implementation
In depth
One Health Joint Plan of Action and guidance

The plan of action guides the four organizations of the Quadripartite collaboration (FAO, UNEP, WHO, WOAH) to work together on One Health.

Antimicrobial resistance quadripartite

The aim of the AMR quadripartite is to maintain the effectiveness of antimicrobials and ensure sustainable and equitable access to antimicrobials for responsible and prudent use in human, animal and plant health.

One Health High-Level Expert Panel

The One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) is a interdisciplinary initiative by FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH to improve our understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.

Highlights
Highlights
Evaluating the Value of One Health: Lessons from the first global online course
21/08/2026

Integrated, cross-sectoral approaches to human, animal, plant and ecosystem health are worth investing in - the harder questions are by how much and...

Highlights
Quadripartite collaboration extends the One Health Joint Plan of Action to 2029
14/08/2026

The extension to 2029 will provide countries with sustained predictability for planning, implementing and scaling national One Health priorities.

Highlights
Early career advice for One Health governance and beyond
29/07/2026

This Q&A draws on a three-part CoP Chats webinar series aimed at students and early career professionals in One Health.

Highlights
Quadripartite partners and global stakeholders step up coordinated action at One Health Summit
12/05/2026

Building on their shared commitment, the Quadripartite partners present a coordinated package of priority deliverables aimed at supporting country-level...

Highlights
Strengthening One Health through coordinated action on implementation, science, policy and financing
08/04/2026

Preventing future health crises requires urgent, coordinated action that recognizes the deep interconnections between the health of people, animals,...

Highlights
FAO Director-General calls for accelerated action on One Health agenda
08/04/2026

The Director‑General of FAO, QU Dongyu called for accelerated action to advance the One Health agenda, warning that persistent capacity gaps and insufficient...

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