National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee

The National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) was established under the Animal Welfare Act to provide independent advice to the Government minister responsible for animal welfare.

NAEAC’s role in animal welfare

NAEAC gives the minister responsible for animal welfare advice on ethical and animal welfare issues relating to the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching. It also:

  • provides information and advice to animal ethics committees
  • makes recommendations to the Director-General of MPI concerning the codes of ethical conduct under which animal research is carried out.

For a full list of NAEAC’s functions, see the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Animal Welfare Act 1999

NAEAC’s work programme

NAEAC prioritises its statutory functions to ensure that codes of ethical conduct, under which research, testing and teaching using animals is carried out, are underpinned by effective monitoring and enforcement. It also encourages research specifically targeted towards replacing, reducing and refining animal use in research, testing and teaching.