When we took your amazing 8.3 millions voices to the UN  last World Animal Day calling for a global end to cosmetics animal testing, the world sat up and took notice. Together, we managed to reignite this issue and put it right back at the top of the agenda. Huge congratulations to everyone everywhere working to end cosmetics animal testing once and for all. We're getting closer.

There has been fantastic progress as companies and decision-makers respond to campaigners against cruel cosmetics across continents. Change is happening, particularly in the USA where states are restricting the sale of animal tested cosmetics. Successes in California, Nevada and Illinois as well as big steps forward in states like Hawaii are helping to build momentum and pressure for a nationwide law against cosmetics animal testing in the USA. Last month we published poll results that show that an amazing 79% of US adults - across the political divide - would support this. Cruelty Free International is working with US legislators to make this happen and we will certainly need your help too.

In Canada, The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International have joined forces to help secure the Canadian Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. Lead member of parliament for the bill, Marilyn Gladu, credited our Forever Against Animal testing campaign as a key inspiration, citing all the signatures we secured from Canada for our global petition as a clear indication of overwhelming support from citizens.  When parliament returns after elections, we will intensify our efforts to get Canada to become a cruelty free cosmetics country.

Elsewhere, we are delighted to have seen legislative changes in Australia and Latin America. We welcomed news that the use of data sourced from animal tests to demonstrate the safety of cosmetics in Australia will be outlawed. Building on the breakthrough in Guatemala in 2017, more countries, including the huge cosmetics market Brazil, are considering laws that will bring us nearer and nearer to a global end to animal suffering for cosmetics.

In China, Cruelty Free International's Leaping Bunny pilot programme is helping to build confidence in cruelty free cosmetics and paving the way to regulatory change. Government there is consulting on a cosmetics animal testing waiver.

So huge thanks to everyone who signed our Forever Against Animal Testing petition - your support is helping bring us closer to a global end to the cruel and unnecessary practice of animal testing for cosmetics. The journey is not over, but we’re confident that if we all keep working together we’ll get there soon.