International Standards & Organizations

International Standard Setting Organizations

OIE: The Office International des Epizooties -- The OIE is also known as the World Animal Health Organization. It was established in 1924 as an international veterinary organization with a mission of facilitating intergovernmental cooperation to prevent the spread of contagious diseases in animals between countries.

The OIE is now comprised of 127 member countries and its membership is expected to increase in the future. It is based in Paris, France. The OIE maintains a worldwide animal disease reporting system and recommends sanitary regulations, testing, quarantine, and health certification procedures to encourage world trade while minimizing the risk of spreading livestock and poultry diseases.

The OIE International Animal Health Code, adopted in 1968, provides the only internationally recommended standards in the animal health area. It contains guidelines for trade in animal and animal products. It also publishes the OIE Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. Both of these publications provide minimal standards that will usually go unchallenged if applied as import requirements.

• Also known as World Animal Health Organization
  
• Established in 1924. Based in Paris, France.
  
• Mission to prevent spread of contagious diseases in animals between countries
  
• 127 member countries (1998)

• International Animal Health Code
  
• Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines

IPPC: The Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention -- The IPPC is based in the headquarters of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy. The IPPC was adopted by the FAO Conference and came into force in 1952. The purpose of the IPPC is to secure common and effective action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests and diseases in plants and plant products and to promote measures for their control. As of 1996 105 countries had adhered to the IPPC.

Negotiations to revise the IPPC were completed in June 1997 and the revised text is aligned with the WTO SPS Agreement principles.

Since 1989, the IPPC is vested with the mandate to coordinate and improve plant quarantine at the global level. The IPPC Secretariat initiated its activities in 1993 and serves as the central point of reference for the development and harmonization of national plant quarantine legislation and practices. It is located at the FAO in Rome in the Plant Protection service of the Plant Production and Protection Division.

Under the auspices of the IPPC Secretariat, the FAO, Regional Plant Protection Organizations, and plant quarantine services at the national and regional levels work together to:

• Develop international plant health standards;
  
• Promote the harmonization of plant quarantine activities with emerging standards;
  
• Facilitate the dissemination of phytosanitary information;
  
• Support plant health assistance to developing countries.

• Based in the FAO in Rome, Italy. IPPC came into force in 1952.
  
• Purpose to prevent the spread and introduction of pests and diseases in plant and plant products and promote measures for their control.
  
• 105 countries adhered to the IPPC (1996).

• Develop international plant health standards;
  
• Promote the harmonization of plant quarantine activities with emerging standards;
  
• Facilitate the dissemination of phytosanitary information;
  
• Support plant health assistance to developing countries.

Codex: The FAO/WHO Joint Codex Alimentarius Commission -- The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1962 by the FAO and the United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO). Codex is the major international mechanism for encouraging fair trade in food while promoting the health and economic interests of consumers, through the development of food standards, codes of practice and other guidelines.

Member countries are invited to accept Codex standards and to embody them in national law. Member countries can review and provide comments at several stages of the development process of a Codex standard. Codex Codes of Practice and Guidelines are advisory instruments and are sent to governments as recommendations. As of March 1997 there were 156 member countries of the Commission.

1. General subject matter committees, such as Food Hygiene, Pesticide residues, and Methods of Analysis and Sampling;
   
2. Commodity committees, such as Fish and Fishery Products, Meat Hygiene, and Cereals, Pulses and Legumes;
   
3. Regional Coordinating committees for areas such as Europe, Asia, north America and the Southwest Pacific.

• Created in 1962 by FAO and WHO.
  
• 156 member countries as of March 1997.
  
• Encourages fair trade in food.
  
• Promotes the health and economic interest of consumers through food standards, codes of practice and other guidelines.
  
• Member countries invited to embody Codex Standards into national laws.
  
• Member countries with can provide review and comment during development of Codex Standards through 3 types of committees:
  
  1. General subject matter committees
     
  2. Commodity committees
     
  3. Regional Coordinating committees

This completes the first module. You may wish to print out the desk reference for this module for further study, or review the contact information for the International Standard Setting organizations.