Regulators of veterinary services in the East African Community (EAC) met last week to conclude negotiations for a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) to facilitate the movement of veterinary professionals across the EAC.
Regulators of veterinary services in the East African Community (EAC) met last week to conclude negotiations for a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) to facilitate the movement of veterinary doctors, specialists and other veterinary professionals across the EAC.
MRAs are internationally recognised agreements, most commonly applied to goods and services, where partnering countries agree to recognise one another's conformity assessments, thus negating the need for duplicate authorisation processes.
The EAC, comprised of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda, has enormous animal resources which contribute significantly to the economy of the region. Modernising the livestock sector is thus an important element of the EAC’s development plans, and having efficient supporting services, such as veterinary doctors, is essential to ensure these plans are achieved.
The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) provided advisory services to support the conclusion of this Agreement, which will begin operation immediately for Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The MRA will then be expanded to all partner states once they have completed the necessary domestic processes.
The Commonwealth-GIZ partnership is also providing support to the EAC to advance MRAs for land surveyors and lawyers, as well as helping to create a framework for the mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications.
Legal advisory support will also be provided by the partnership to support the strengthening of the EAC Common Market. The Common Market guides the free movement of goods, people, labour, services and capital from one EAC partner state to another.
Find out more about how the Commonwealth assists with trade relations and agreements