Amsterdam - Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg was due to sign a petition Monday calling on the United Nations to accept a Universal Declaration for Animal Welfare.

Animal rights have become an integral part of the Dutch political agenda ever since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to get a party for animal rights in parliament in 2006.

Animal welfare in the bio-industry, animal transport and slaughtering methods are discussed daily in parliament.

Agriculture ministry spokesman Thijs van Zon said the petition was an initiative of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the world's largest alliance of animal welfare societies.

The WSPA, which has a consultative status at the United Nations and the Council of Europe, wants the declaration to help the UN pressure national governments to alter policies that harm animals.

The declaration has already been signed by several European and other countries, among whom Britain, Sweden, Lithuania, Croatia, Australia, Bahrain and Colombia.

"It is expected that Sweden will take up this issue during its European Union presidency in the second half of 2009 and try to convince the European Commission to sign the petition as well," van Zon said.

The spokesman said the Dutch Animal Party had not played a role in the Agriculture Ministry's decision to sign the declaration. (dpa)