In 2014, we succeeded in getting the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil to pass a bill that would require most cosmetics tests to be carried out without the use of animals.

It was a great step forward at the end of a whirlwind campaign. We launched the Cruelty Free International office – led by Dr Frank Alarcon – in Brazil in September 2013. Frank spent nine very busy months talking to politicians – especially the bill’s sponsor, Deputy Ricardo Izar – experts, government officials and representatives of Brazil’s testing and validation authorities. We even got a written commitment from all ten party leaders to give the cosmetics testing issue priority.

To become law in Brazil, a bill must win approval in both the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Federal Senate (upper house) and finally, approval by the president. After its adoption in the lower house, our bill (Deputies Bill 70/2014) was sent to the Senate’s Committee on Science and Technology. Yesterday, the committee voted on a report on the bill and unanimously supported a testing and marketing ban. That’s great news. Our task now is to get the legislation through the full Senate and to secure a yes from the president.

The European Union ban on cosmetics animal testing has opened the door to legislative bans in over 35 countries around the world, most recently in Guatemala. Brazil has a big and important cosmetics industry and is part of the International Committee of Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR) – it really should have a ban.

In addition to keeping up the pressure for national bans in countries like Brazil, we’ve also just launched an ambitious campaign to secure an end to cosmetics testing across the world via a resolution at the United Nations. It’s high time this cruel and unnecessary practice was ended for animals, consumers and for industry which needs a harmonised, cruelty free level playing field.

Find out more and join our campaign to ban it for the bunnies.