The Global Rinderpest Action Plan aims to ensure continued global freedom from rinderpest by outlining the actions necessary to prepare for, respond to and recover from a rinderpest outbreak. FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) declared in 2011 the global eradication of rinderpest and resolved to implement follow-up measures to keep the world free from the disease. Although rinderpest is the only animal disease that has been globally eradicated, the greatest risk for its re-emergence is the release, whether intentional or unintentional, of infectious material from a Rinderpest Holding Facility among susceptible animal populations. The re-emergence of disease would be a global animal health emergency, leading to the loss of global disease freedom and threatening livelihoods, food security, international trade and national economies.