objectives

UNCAHP's 10 key objectives:

1. Make animal protection a global imperative at the UN.
   
   
2. Make animal protection a common goal for all Nations.
   
   
3. Allow all animals to be considered and protected in a unique convention.
   
   
4. Protect animal health globally.
   
   
5. Protect animal species globally.
   
   
6. Protect animal welfare globally.
   
   
7. Protect animal interests globally (for instance: interest to live, to be free, well-treated, to be represented).
   
   
8. Strengthen human obligations of responsibility, care and assistance towards animals.
   
   
9. State legal principles of non-cruelty and good treatment for all animals in all countries.
   
   
10. Promote the research of alternatives to animal products and exploitation.

As a global instrument, it is:

• Universal: It concerns and applies to all countries in the world at the UN (being the only universal organization with 193 sovereign States to date).
  
• All-encompassing: It concerns all categories of animals (i.e. companion, farmed, lab, sports and wild animals).
  
• Holistic: It positions animal protection in the global picture of environmental and human protection through the One Health/One Welfare approach.
  

As a framework-convention, it is:

• Legally-binding: To all member states (having the power of a treaty, as opposed to declarations of principles or international recommendations).
  
• Consensual: It contains internationally agreed principles; For example, in framework of the OIE with the 5 freedoms and 3Rs (Art. 2 UNCAHP) and general principles of animal law, i.e. non-cruelty and good-treatment (Art. 4 UNCAHP).
  
• Evolutive: It contains principles that are already embodied in many national laws such as the obligations of responsibility, care and assistance, and the recognition of animal sentience and dignity (Arts. 1 & 3 UNCAHP). It also includes far-reaching principles, that are adapted to progressive evolutions, such as the protection of animals’ fundamental interests and the research of alternatives to animal products and exploitation (Arts. 5 & 6 UNCAHP).