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Inter-governmental organizations Food and Agriculture Organization (Biotech) The multi-lingual FAO Biotechnology website provides access to updated news and events, documents, an e-mail forum, a glossary, national biotechnology policy documents and other useful information about many aspects of modern biotechnology. Codex Alimentarius The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. Related to GM food safety, the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology has published Principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology and Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants, provided in Appendices 1 and 2 of this monograph. World Health Organization WHO has been addressing a wide range of issues in the field of biotechnology and human health, including safety evaluation of vaccines produced using biotechnology, human cloning and gene therapy. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The OECD’s programme of work for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds is intended to promote international harmonization in the safety assessment and regulation of GM foods and feeds, including the products of modern biotechnology. The OECD's Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds decided at its first session, in 1999, to focus its work on the development of science-based consensus documents, which are mutually acceptable among member countries. These consensus documents contain information for use during the regulatory assessment of a particular food/feed product. In the area of food and feed safety, consensus documents are being published on the nutrients, antinutrients or toxicants, information on the product's use as a food/feed and other relevant information. Biosafety Clearing House The Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) is an information exchange mechanism established by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to assist Parties to implement its provisions and to facilitate sharing of information on, and experience with, living modified organisms (LMOs). International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology ICGEB offers a rich array of information. The BioSafety web page provides extensive links to international treaties, conventions and meetings, including submissions by member governments United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO is the only organization that maintains detailed databases of key industrial statistics with worldwide coverage. It has established a network of regional centres providing comprehensive training in biosafety. Institute for Health and Consumer Protection of the Joint Research Center IHCP is part of the Directorate General JRC and fulfils the JRC's mission in providing scientific support to policies related to health and consumer protection. Some Governmental regulatory web sites related to GM foods Australia and New Zealand Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Canada Health Canada. European Commission European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). India Department of Biotechnology: Biosafety Rules and Regulations. Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. United States Food and Drug Administration. United States Department of Agriculture. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.