AfA's biennial meeting held in Taipei; legislators from three political parties discussed animal protection policies.

The opening ceremony of the 2025 Asian Animal Protection Conference featured several high-ranking officials.

The biennial Asia for Animals Conference (AfA) was held in Taiwan for the first time since its founding in 2001. Over 600 experts and individuals concerned with animal protection from over 30 countries and regions gathered from August 25 to 28, 2025, to discuss in depth the current status and challenges facing five major animal groups.

On the final day of the conference, a special panel discussion on "Animal Protection and Political Parties" was held. Panelists included legislators from Taiwan's three major political parties and Paul Littlefair, International Director of the UK's RSPCA. Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Shufen stated that she has long collaborated with the Animal Society on animal protection issues, primarily focusing on experimental and economic animals. This has led to the phasing out of pre-market in vivo testing for generic drugs and six health foods, as well as Taiwan becoming the first country in Asia to legislate a ban on the import and export of live marine mammals and their products. However, she also admitted that most of these achievements did not involve legislation, but rather amendments to sub-laws or administrative decrees, requiring only agreement with the executive branch, making them less challenging than legislation.

KMT legislator Wang Yu-min recounted her journey into animal protection, noting that the "Keep Beauty Away from Cruelty" campaign, which banned animal testing on cosmetics, was her inspiration. Her earlier work in child welfare led her to reflect on the disparity in care animals and humans receive, despite being living beings. This strengthened her resolve to speak out for animals. She also cited her successful legislative experience—a ban on the consumption of cats and dogs. The passage of this law led to her alliance with the World Dog Federation, whose mission is to "enact legislation prohibiting the consumption of dogs and dogs." This has allowed her to share her legislative experience in parliaments in countries like South Korea and Japan, a precious international exchange experience.

Taiwanese legislator Wang Yu-min cited the enactment of legislation prohibiting the consumption of cats and dogs as an example, highlighting public support for such measures. Under the auspices of the World Dog Alliance, she had previously visited South Korea and Japan to share legislative experiences and engage in international exchanges.Wang Yu-min also cited a failed legislative example: the unreasonable provision in the Apartment Building Management Ordinance that allows pets to be banned through bylaws. She stated that she first proposed amending the Apartment Building Management Ordinance in 2013 and again in 2016, but both proposals were rejected. She will propose the bill a third time during her new term in 2024, and it is currently awaiting review by the Interior Committee. This will be her goal.

People's Party legislator Liu Shu-bin frankly stated that she has only been in office for five months and has no experience in successful legislation. She pointed out the importance of green governance, which can reduce plastic pollution, especially marine plastic pollution, and prevent habitat destruction, in order to protect animals, especially endangered species.

Paul, Director of RSPCA International, shared his experience in lobbying as a civil society organization. He explained that the RSPCA has long provided UK MPs with information on various animal protection bills, including market research data. This allows these overworked MPs to quickly delve into the issues and grasp the key points, resulting in a smooth collaboration between the two sides.

The three legislators unanimously expressed the importance of information flow to legislation. Domestically, when the public's perspectives are aligned and public opinion is consistent, the chances of a bill passing naturally increase. Internationally, drawing on the successful experiences and insights of others can help advance legislation. Therefore, they all affirmed the value of the AfA conference.

The 2025 Asian Animal Conservation Congress is co-organized by the Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), the Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA), and the Taiwan Society for Animals and Humans (THASI). The Ministry of Agriculture, which has traditionally served as the guiding authority, has proactively requested to co-organize the event. The Director-General of the Department of Animal Protection will attend the event throughout, and national leader Lai Ching-te will also attend the opening ceremony as the guest of honor. This shows the government's positive attitude towards "letting the world see Taiwan's animal protection"!

The grand finale of the 2025 Asian Animal Protection Conference: Legislative councillors from three political parties discuss "Animal Protection and Political Parties".