Global animal welfare improvement requires international cooperation, with existing treaties and organizations providing frameworks that advocates can engage with and strengthen.
International animal welfare progress is slower than domestic reform because there is no binding global treaty equivalent to those covering human rights or trade. WOAH guidelines establish recommended standards but compliance is voluntary. The EU single market creates economic incentives for exporting countries to adopt EU welfare standards to access the market. Trade agreements represent an underutilized lever — linking market access to welfare standards creates economic incentives that pure advocacy cannot. Animal welfare diplomacy is a high-leverage but under-resourced area where dedicated professionals and organizations can achieve population-scale welfare improvements through institutional change.