Abstract

At present there is no international agreement that ensures the welfare and protection of animals. Animal welfare is not regulated by a single, comprehensive, international law instrument. In other words, there is no international standard that regulates and defines the acceptable treatment of animals. This lack of international consensus leads to the current discordant treatment of animals around the world, echoing the need for an international framework addressing the issue. This article considers the prevailing frameworks in international law that addresses animal welfare in some way, but they in themselves are not able to meet hallmarks of an effective global protection regime, including enforceability and comprehensiveness. This article also discusses about the proposed treaty, The International Convention for the Protection of Animals (ICPA). The treaty would ensure and enable animal welfare issues to gain international protection and recognition of animal rights by settling the general guidelines and policies regarding the treatment and use of animals. It may however be impossible for all countries to pass such a treaty. But the ICPA could make it possible to begin the process of enacting groundbreaking international animal protection.

Keywords