the rapidly growing importance of internationally accepted food standards as a means of protecting consumer and producer in all countries, whatever their stage of development, and of effectively reducing trade barriers,
Recognizing
the need to simplify and integrate international food standards work so as to avoid duplication and conflicting standards and to effect economies in effort and outlay,
Desiring
to achieve these aims and to harmonize the special requirements of regional markets with those of the international food trade in general, and
Conscious
of the importance of the role of the
World Health Organization (WHO)
in all health aspects of food standards work,
Endorses
the proposals, submitted by the
Director-General
on the request of the First FAO Regional Conference for Europe, for a Joint FAO /
WHO
Program on Food Standards (C 61/53);
Decides
to establish, in accordance with
Article VI of the Constitution, a
Codex Alimentarius Commission
, whose statutes are set out in Appendix D;
Urges
all interested Member Nations to contribute to the special trust fund by which, subject to review by the Twelfth Session of the
Conference
, the program will be financed, and to consult with the
Director-General
as to the amount of their contribution; and
Requests
the Director-General:
(a)
to draw to the attention of the Director-General of WHO the importance attached to an early endorsement by that Organization of the present proposals for a Joint FAO / WHO Program on Food Standards,
(b)
to implement the program as soon as sufficient funds have been received and, in consultation with the Director-General of WHO, to call the first, session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission if possible by June 1962.
