Mr. Director-General,
1. On behalf of the Members of the Commission, and the delegates, advisors and observers who are present here today, it is my pleasure to thank you sincerely for opening our Eighteenth Session and for transmitting to the Commission the kind words of support of the World Health Assembly. I also thank you very much for your kind words to me as the Commission's first Chairman from a developing country, and I can say that I am deeply aware of both the honour and the responsibility which this status implies.
2. Developing countries, Mr. Director-General, have come to play an increasingly important role in the work of the Commission. In addition to most active participation in commodity and horizontal subject Codex Committees, they have shown their enthusiasm for the Commission's work through the activities of the Regional Coordinating Committees; 46 member countries have attended the three regional meetings for Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean held in this biennium. As a result of the mutual exchange of experiences, national inter-ministerial Codex Alimentarius Committees have been formed in a number of countries with the dual aims of strengthening participation in Codex work and coordination of national infrastructures for food control and import/export inspection.
3. At this point Mr. Director-General I would like to mention a most important fact, that in the last Codex Alimentarius Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean which I was able to attend, Dr. Oscar Arias, President of Costa Rica and Nobel Prize Winner for Peace made the opening speech at the session, emphasizing the great importance of the programme, and its benefit to mankind. Also I was able to participate in a workshop of the Brazilian Government on Codex Alimentarius, held in Brasilia in May. This conference was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture, Health, Commerce and Foreign Affairs again sharing their interest in the programme work. One year ago the opening session of the Committee on Tropical Fruits and Vegetables was held in Mexico, the Minister of Commerce attended it and some of the working sessions as well.
4. All this Mr. Director-General again shows that the interest is a continuously growing matter not only in developed countries but also in developing ones since they are making good use of the Codex Guidelines and Standards in their national laws and regulations. We still have to make a strong effort to promote the knowledge of Codex work and its benefits nationally and internationally promoting better health and even commerce amongst nations.
5. As you have pointed out, Sir, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for making recommendations to protect the consumers' health and to promote international trade. In undertaking the first of these, the Commission has examined both acute health problems, those caused principally through microbiological contamination, and potential chronic effects of chemicals and contaminants in food; whether they be food additives, or residues of pesticides or veterinary medicines, or environmental contaminants such as mycotoxins or heavy metals. From the Commission's very early days, emphasis has been placed on the microbiological safety of food, and the first edition of the General Principles of Food Hygiene was adopted by the Commission more than twenty years ago, and it has been up-dated twice since then. The effective application of this Code, and related commodity-specific codes, rests with national authorities. Too often the detailed knowledge and infrastructure needed for applying these Codes is lacking, and it is fortunate that countries can turn to FAO and WHO for practical assistance in training or in the development of programmes to incorporate Codex work into the national food legislation and strengthen its application at all levels of the food chain. The effective application of the General Principles of Food Hygiene will not only benefit consumers generally, but should also ensure the safety of food for the tourist industry, which as you rightly point out is already a major source of revenue for many countries.
6. In International trade, Mr. Director-General real or potential health concerns lead directly to trade problems. Foods may be detained at borders because of the presence of pesticide residues, mycotoxins, non-approved additives, microbial contamination often Salmonella, filth, or even because of inadequate or inappropriate labelling. The Codex Commission is designed to address all of these concerns by arriving at agreements on what levels, if any, of residues or contaminants may be allowed, what additives are permitted and where, and what information must appear on labels. I am pleased, Sir, that the 42nd World Health Assembly has recognized the Commission's work on microbiological and hygiene standards for foods of animal origin, as this work will continue to develop as microbiological contamination of food continues to result in trade difficulties.
7. I am pleased Mr. Director-General, that you have mentioned the cooperation between the Commission and the GATT. The current developments underway within the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations offer the exciting prospect of the Codex standards being used as the basis for the harmonization of national regulations as a long-term objective under GATT. This would mean that the exporting countries would be able to compete more equitably for markets, without artificial barriers to trade established on different interpretations of health and safety requirements for foods. It also will mean a greater commitment on the part of the exporting countries to ensure that their manufacturing processes meet the requirements of the Codex Codes of Practice and that their export inspection services are able to certify, with confidence, that the requirements of the Codex standards are met. Assistance in this area will be needed by many countries, and it is worthwhile to recognize that in the FAO-sponsored workshops which have been held in association with the Regional Coordinating Committees in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean have addressed the problems of import and export inspection as their major theme.
8. Mr. Director-General these developments within GATT and the new emphasis on food exports are important for developing countries, which see increased trade in foods as a major option for tackling their problems of external debt. Improved agricultural output in developing countries has made food surpluses available for export, even from countries which only a few years ago required very large quantities of food aid to combat the effects of drought. Of special interest are the agricultural and horticultural products which bring a high return based on the quality and presentation of the goods. I am pleased that the Commission continues to work in this area, even to take new initiatives to facilitate this trade.
9. Returning, Mr. Director-General, to one of the main themes of your opening address, the real application of Codex Standards and Codes at the developing country level, both in the interests of protecting the consumers' health and in facilitating trade, must remain a priority of both FAO and WHO. It is encouraging to see the number of technical assistance projects which address this need. It is even more encouraging to see that the number of projects and their scope seems to be increasing, and that more people are being trained in this area than ever before. I would hope that even more developing countries take advantage of the opportunities available to strengthen their food control programmes so as to be able to really use the Codex standards to their best effect and to benefit from improved trade opportunities.
10. In closing, Mr. Director-General, I should like to join you in thanking those governments who so generously contribute to the Codex Programme by continuing to host the Commission's subsidiary bodies. It is significant, that so many countries accept this burden, as a way of supporting the Commission's work. I am pleased to say that my own country has sufficient confidence in the Commission to contribute to its success directly in this way.
11. Thank you, Sir, for your kind words of welcome and encouragement. We have a great deal of work to do this week and next and we shall be able to undertake it in a strong sense of appreciation of your personal support.
