Dear all,
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) are evaluating the Codex Alimentarius food
standard programme. Please, find below a public call for comments from both
Organizations.
With best regards
Peter
Peter Karim Ben Embarek,
Scientist,
Food Safety Programme, World Health Organisation (WHO),
20, Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Ph:+41 22 791 42 04 (Operator: 2111), Fax: +41 22 791 48 07
E-mail: benembarekp@who.int , Homepage: www.who.int/fsf
We are pleased to contact you within the framework of the ongoing joint FAO
and WHO evaluation of the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and the work of
the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
In addition to a formal questionnaire on key issues to Member States and
stakeholders through official channels (which will be distributed in May
2002), the evaluation process will involve different vehicles for
consultations, including country visits, in-depth interviews, literature
reviews, content analysis, etc.
Meanwhile, in order to obtain the broadest possible input within the
shortest possible time, we are seeking to gather views from all those who
wish to contribute to the process through the informal public call for
comments attached, which is being advertised as broadly as possible
(including through websites of FAO and WHO and the press).
All those who figure on our standard mailing lists, in whatever capacity,
are being sent a copy. You may wish also to disseminate it as widely as
possible to other contacts and networks.
We should be most grateful if you could help us in assuring the success of
this important endeavour, and thank you very much for any assistance you are
able to give.
Programme Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
World Health Organization
11 April 2002
Independent Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius
and other FAO-WHO work on Food Standards
INFORMATION NOTE AND INFORMAL PUBLIC CALL FOR COMMENTS
The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established by FAO and WHO in 1962 to
implement the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The Programme's
importance has gradually shifted from providing a basis for national
standards to providing the point of reference in standards, guidelines and
codes of practice for international trade.
FAO and WHO have now called for an in-depth independent evaluation of the
work of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, including the Codex
Alimentarius Commission, in order to meet more effectively the needs of the
world's people and improve the systems to protect and promote the global
food supply for both developing and developed countries. The terms of
reference for the evaluation can be found on WHO's web site at:
<http://www.who.int/fsf> http://www.who.int/fsf, together with other
relevant background information.
This evaluation, launched in March 2002 and due to be completed in early
2003, will examine the respective requirements of producers, industry,
traders, consumers and regulators and provide recommendations and
considerations for the future on the relevance of standards or alternative
approaches in meeting the overall objectives in consumer protection (in
particular for health risks) and in ensuring fair practices for food trade,
including the needs of both developed and developing countries.
The evaluation will be carried out by an independent Evaluation Team and an
Expert Panel. The two groups will work closely together and produce reports
by November this year, following the widest possible consultation with
member countries of FAO and WHO and other stakeholders.
In addition to a formal questionnaire on key issues to Member States and
stakeholders through official channels (which will be distributed in May
2002), the consultation process will involve different vehicles, including
country visits, in-depth interviews, literature reviews, content analysis,
etc.
One element of this process is to invite informal comments from the global
public and all potentially interested parties, in an attempt to include the
broadest possible range of relevant opinions and issues. All comments thus
received will be forwarded to the Evaluation Team and Expert Panel for their
consideration as part of responses obtained through the various methods. All
information will be held confidentially and no individual names will be
mentioned in any reports.
Interested stakeholders and the public are invited to send their comments by
13 May 2002 to: Programme Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, World Health
Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland; fax: +41 22 791 4807; email: [
<mailto:codexreview@who.int> codexreview@who.int. ]
Issues for comment could include the following aspects:
(1) The relevance and adequacy of Codex and other food standards as a basis
for consumer health protection, trade and economic development, including:
* the relevance and adequacy of standards as instruments for
preventing foodborne diseases and other health risks, for food safety risk
management and consumer protection, and for trade and economic development
and production practice;
* the expectations as to standards in imports and exports and for
domestic trade, particularly as regards the validity and acceptability of
standards.
(2) The adequacy of governance structures and decision-making processes in
Codex and other food standards work, including:
* the expectation as to the institutional mechanisms for standard
setting, including the structure and procedures of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission and its subsidiary bodies;
* the technical and administrative support given to the work of the
Commission by FAO and WHO, including secretariat and expert committees,
possibilities and limitations for participation in the decision-making
processes, and direct and indirect costs and ways of covering them.
(3) The efficiency and transparency of the Codex process, including the
independence of Codex bodies and of scientific advice given to Codex and
avoidance of conflict of interest.
(4) Opportunities to participate in the Codex process, including:
* the particular interests of developing countries as regards
participation in the standards setting process and assistance to them in
implementing standards;
* the expectations of producers, industry and civil society and their
likely impact on international standards;
* the mobilization of adequate support for developing country capacity
building and their participation in the standard setting processes.
(5) Implications for future international systems of food safety and food
standards development relative to public health, food trade and economic
development in a broad sense, including:
* the advantages of potentially quite different approaches to those at
present in place for consumer protection (especially for health) and
economic development through clarity in international and domestic trade as
well as for standard setting at international and national levels;
* the implications for developing countries, if food standards setting
for international trade were allowed to become the preserve of the developed
countries and main trading nations.
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