A new call for a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics

Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop have recently announced the success of their global pledge with the support of one million people calling for a worldwide ban on animal testing for cosmetics. The pledges will now be delivered to governments and regulatory bodies throughout the world. 

The Body Shop supported Cruelty Free International, the first global organisation solely dedicated to ending the use of animals to test cosmetics products throughout the world, by asking customers in stores across 65 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Korea, Japan and Russia to sign a pledge calling for an end to these tests on animals. It has been the largest and most ambitious campaign ever to seek a global ban on the use of animals to test cosmetics.

The European Union ban on animal tested cosmetics was widely celebrated in March 2013, however, Cruelty Free International is continuing to campaign for a global ban as over 80% of the world still allows animals to be used in cruel experiments for cosmetics products.

There is still no worldwide ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Despite progress with some countries and companies, over 80% of the world still allows animals, to be used in experiments. In a global market it is important that all countries ban the practice to avoid testing simply moving around the world to those countries with no effective laws.

Cruelty Free International works with governments, regulators, companies and partner organisations worldwide. It has placed the issue of animal testing on the agenda of many governments for the very first time as part of a global strategy to tackle product testing. wwwcrueltyfreeinternational.org

The Body Shop was the first and most long-standing cosmetics company to take action on the issue of animal testing in cosmetics. The company was the first international cosmetics company to gain BUAV certification under the Humane Cosmetics Standard, launched in 1997, and displays the Leaping Bunny logo in their stores worldwide.