Various international law instruments address the protection of endangered species, habitat protection, and biological diversity. Besides, numerous international legal regimes incidentally affect animals. In the seminar, we will study the animal-relevant rules and practice with a view to identifying cross-cutting principles and mechanisms. It covers, inter alia, WTO law, CITES, international environmental law, international development law, the law of indigenous peoples, international humanitarian law, and international labour law. We will examine the standard-setting practice by relevant international bodies such as FAO, the Organisation internationale des epizooties, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the European Food Security Agency, the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council (with regard to wildlife poaching as a threat to the peace), and the GEF. We shall also investigate whether international legal institutions such as human rights, sustainable development, the no harm-principle, extraterritorial jurisdiction, and ordre public can be used for furthering animal issues. Questions of rights, citizenship, sovereignty, multi-culturalism, neo-colonialism and North-South relations, will also come into play. Finally, regulatory approaches to animal welfare such as multi-stakeholder initiatives, labelling and certification requirements, and framework conventions, are studied.