JGHL Special Issue "One Health and Global Health Law"

The Special Issue ‘One Health and Global Health Law’ of the Journal of Global Health Law aims to contribute to the scholarly debate on legal and governance frameworks supporting the operationalisation of the One Health approach at the global, regional and domestic levels with the purpose of improving prevention, preparedness and response to global health emergencies. Albeit not a novel concept, One Health has increasingly gained momentum in response to the upsurge of complex health threats arising at the intersection of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health, such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and risks related to climate change and ecosystem degradation. Conceived as an integrated and holistic approach to address multidimensional global challenges, One Health requires collaboration across relevant sectors, institutions and disciplines, as well as multilevel governance coordination mechanisms. These systematic efforts are designed to ensure that actions, policies and strategies at different levels are aligned, so as to reduce duplications and enhance synergies and coherence. Effectively implemented, the One Health approach holds the full potential to translate global health security goals into reality, with the law playing a pivotal role in this respect. The present Special Issue explores the global One Health governance and legal landscape, bringing fresh, critical and forward-looking perspectives which combine theoretical frameworks with quantitative research. Each contribution adds new value to the existing legal scholarship on One Health, addressing under-researched themes and filling research gaps, highlighting emerging trends or new legal milestones, formulating original arguments or providing recommendations to contribute to the advancement of global health law in this field.