The Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical office of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the African Union Commission (AUC). AU-IBAR 's mandate is to support and coordinate the utilization of livestock, fisheries and wildlife as resources for both human wellbeing and economic development in the Member States of the African Union (AU). Despite sustained efforts and commitment over many decades by AU-IBAR and others, the potential of animal resources in the fight against poverty and the development of Africa is still underutilized. The AU-IBAR Strategic Plan (SP) 2014-2017 is anchored to the Bureau 's expanded mandate that includes livestock, wildlife and fisheries. The SP seeks to consolidate support to the animal resources sector by providing an integrated multi-level road map. The SP is designed to enhance, sector-wide performance, wealth generation, institutional strengthening, stakeholder participation and support to socio-economic integration and environmental sustainability. The SP is responsive to changes in the African landscape and the international scene. It is built on key trends and drivers that are relevant to the African animal resources sector. They include: the threat and opportunity represented by globalization the impact of the Livestock Revolution concept on the African livestock producers hurdles to greater market access the potential role of livestock in a generally hotter, drier continent, balanced against their contribution to climate change through greenhouse gas production the changing dynamics of animal diseases and the emergence and re-emergence of diseases, especially zoonoses renewed interest in agriculture as a tool for poverty reduction and economic development the growing focus on nutritional security for which animal source foods (ASF) play an important role the emergence of new players and institutional arrangements relevant to the sector recognition of the role of women and other vulnerable groups in animal resource production rapid developments in the fields of information and communication technologies, especially the rapidly growing access to mobile and smart phones the potential of biotechnology the vulnerability of the poor to instability, natural disasters, diseases, conflicts, uncertain access to resources and markets and inadequate capacity for risk management.