In your capacity as Delegate, you are the official representative of your government to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

In addition to your obligations to notify animal diseases present in your country, you should ensure that standards, guidelines and resolutions voted by the World Assembly of Delegates of the OIE, (which holds its annual General Session at the Headquarters of the Organisation in May in Paris-France) are duly implemented. You are responsible for bringing them to the attention of your government and all related public and private stakeholders.

You must ensure that the Veterinary Services of your country are being regularly informed on the evolution of OIE standards and guidelines notably by relying on the focal points you nominated for priority technical domains. You must also ensure that animal disease diagnostic laboratories are aware of the existence of the worldwide network of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, so that, where necessary, scientific and technical cooperation can be developed.

Your role is crucial to the OIE's standard-setting process and, consequently, to its worldwide action. This is a continuous process, concretising in the adoption of international standards by the World Assembly of Delegates each year.