International animal welfare standards vary enormously, with significant gaps in protection for billions of animals, and limited enforcement of existing frameworks.
International animal welfare frameworks remain fragmented, with no binding global treaty establishing minimum welfare standards across species. The OIE code provides guidance that member countries are encouraged but not required to implement, creating enormous variation in national standards. The majority of the world's animals - wild animals, most invertebrates, and animals in countries with minimal welfare legislation - exist outside any regulatory protection. International trade represents one of the most powerful levers for welfare improvement, as major importing countries can use market access conditions to require minimum welfare standards from exporting countries. Building a coherent international animal welfare framework is among the most important long-term goals of the welfare movement.