Sentience

There is a strong body of science supporting animal sentience, and this is already recognised in the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, the Animal Welfare Strategy for Africa (under the African Union), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Global Animal Welfare Strategy.

Animals are sentient beings and should not just be treated as inanimate objects or merely “resources”. There is a strong body of science supporting animal sentience, and this is already recognised in the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, the Animal Welfare Strategy for Africa (under the African Union), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Global Animal Welfare Strategy. Because animals, just like humans, are sentient, their reaction to human action, at a physical, physiological and psychological level, is fundamentally different from that of other elements of our ecosystems. Therefore, recognition that animals are sentient and that their welfare should be respected must be a core element of the global effort to protect the environment and achieve the vision of humanity living in harmony with nature. A similar sentiment was expressed by the UN Secretary-General in his Report on Harmony with Nature (A/75/266, paragraph 42), in which he noted that “non-human animals are sentient beings, not mere property, and must be afforded respect and legal recognition”.