Tehran - The Islamic Republic of Iran has formally declared its readiness to join the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Program for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPP-TAD), a proposal that has drawn a positive response from the UN agency.

 

The announcement follows coordination between Iran’s Permanent Representation to the FAO, the national Veterinary Organization, the Veterinary Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture’s Office for International Affairs and Specialized Organizations. It builds on recent discussions held by Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the FAO with the FAO Assistant Director-General and the Director of the Animal Production and Health Division.

 

In a letter addressed to Iran’s Permanent Representative, the FAO Assistant Director-General acknowledged Tehran’s interest in the initiative and confirmed that the next phases of the GPP-TAD rollout would be carried out in close consultation with the Iranian mission and competent national authorities.

 

Designed to foster coordinated global action against transboundary animal diseases, the GPP-TAD program targets threats that extend beyond livestock health to undermine food security, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods.

 

Core components of the program include reinforcing biosecurity protocols, advancing vaccination strategies, upgrading disease surveillance and monitoring networks, deploying early warning systems, strengthening diagnostic laboratory capacities, and building robust risk-management frameworks for emergency response.

 

For Iran, accession to the program represents a strategic opportunity: it would enable the country to tap into the scientific and professional expertise of its domestic veterinary sector, deepen regional and multilateral partnerships, facilitate technical knowledge transfers, and amplify the visibility of Iranian veterinarians within global animal-health policymaking.

 

The International Affairs Office of Iran’s Veterinary Medical Council reiterated its commitment to advancing scientific and professional veterinary diplomacy, stressing that it will actively pursue continued specialized engagement with international bodies—including the FAO—to further elevate Iran’s profile and ensure its constructive participation in worldwide animal health programs.