Reflections on the Ethical Premises Underlying the Proposed UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection

Abstract

This article examines the ethical underpinnings of the proposed UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection (UNCAHP), a framework treaty drafted by the Global Animal Law Association (GAL). The object of the draft treaty is, first, to establish for the first time an international animal protection regime comprehending all non-human animal species. It aims, secondly, to provide the animal pillar of the UN sustainable development agenda, which now encompasses only the human and nature aspects of life. These are challenging objectives, given the eclectic and fragmented way international law has previously tried to come to grips with animal ethics. The article, therefore, looks at UNCAHP from the perspective of animal ethics and asks how likely it is that, if the treaty were to be adopted, it would achieve its objectives in ways that are compatible with both with its own ambitions and the broader agenda of animal law.