The African Association for Wildlife in Human Care (AAWHC) has successfully completed the WAZA confirmation process, marking another important step towards consistent and holistic animal welfare evaluation across the global zoo and aquarium community.

WAZA is pleased to announce that the African Association for Wildlife in Human Care (AAWHC) has been confirmed as meeting the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal.  

AAWHC has successfully completed the peer-review process established through the Goal, a global benchmark for the Animal Welfare Evaluation Processes used by WAZA member national and regional associations. 

The outcome confirms that AAWHC’s Animal Welfare Evaluation Process incorporates the high-level principles and operational elements approved by WAZA. It reflects the association’s commitment to a holistic, science-based approach to animal welfare and helps strengthen consistency in animal welfare evaluation across the global community.

Building on progress across regions

AAWHC is the second association to be recognised for meeting the Goal in 2026. 

In March, WAZA celebrated the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA) successfully completing the process and meeting the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal. 

These achievements demonstrate continued progress across regions and the value of collaboration between WAZA member associations in advancing shared global priorities. Each association that completes the process contributes to a stronger and more consistent framework for animal welfare evaluation worldwide. 

What is the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal?

The WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal was developed to establish a global benchmark for the Animal Welfare Evaluation Processes implemented by WAZA member national and regional associations. 

It aims to confirm that these processes incorporate specific high-level principles of animal welfare and to promote their consistent application across all regions represented within WAZA. 

The Goal supports a holistic approach to animal welfare by examining seven operational elements: 

• Animal welfare model  
• Animal welfare standards  
• Verification process  
• Capacity of associations  
• Training  
• Intervention process  
• Complaints procedures 

The confirmation process is supported by the WAZA Assessment Tool and includes an association self-evaluation, peer review by another WAZA member, the review and recommendation from an Expert Panel and the confirmation by the WAZA Executive Committee.  

What Meeting the Goal Means

Meeting the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal confirms that an association’s Animal Welfare Evaluation Process incorporates the requirements agreed by the global WAZA community. 

The Goal is not a certification, accreditation or standard issued by WAZA to individual zoological institutions. WAZA is not an accrediting body. Instead, it works with its national and regional association members to establish shared priorities and global benchmarks. 

Under the current framework, WAZA National and Regional Associations are expected to have an Animal Welfare Evaluation Process incorporating the elements established by WAZA in collaboration with its Member National and Regional Associations. Their institutional members must go through that process within five years—or less—of its confirmation by WAZA. 

This approach recognises the central role of national and regional associations in evaluating their members while establishing common global principles that support robust, credible and consistent animal welfare processes globally. 

Advancing a shared commitment

AAWHC’s completion of the process represents an important milestone for the association and for the wider WAZA community. 

WAZA congratulates AAWHC and acknowledges everyone involved in the self-evaluation, peer-review and confirmation process. WAZA also recognises AIZA’s achievement earlier this year and looks forward to celebrating further progress as other associations continue their work towards meeting the Goal. 

Learn more about the WAZA 2023 Animal Welfare Goal here