In 2012, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) established an external FAO-WOAH Rinderpest Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) to provide scientific advice on rinderpest management and biosecurity in the post-eradication era. The JAC advises FAO and WOAH regarding post-eradication policy, the review of rinderpest research proposals, and the oversight of designated holding facilities responsible for safeguarding the virus, among other topics.

The JAC has six highly qualified external members with expertise in veterinary virology, diagnostics, vaccinology, epidemiology, contingency planning, biothreat reduction and biosafety/biosecurity, as well as one scientific representative each from the FAO and WOAH, serving as the Committee’s Secretariat.

Between 2012 and 2024, the Members of the JAC supported FAO and WOAH in designing and implementing activities to safeguard global freedom from rinderpest. Among the actions in the roadmap, the development of the Global Rinderpest Action Plan, advocacy with countries holding rinderpest virus, support in implementing simulation exercises, creation of a system for review of research proposals, and of a framework for inspection of Rinderpest Holding Facilities are highlighted as major accomplishments. To date, 20 JAC meetings have been organized by the FAO-WOAH Rinderpest Secretariat. The reports of previous meetings are available here.

The 21st meeting of the JAC (14-15 April 2026) is organized by WOAH in collaboration with FAO under the umbrella of Global Framework for the Progressive Control for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) at the WOAH HQ in Paris, France.