WORK WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The WTO and Food and Agriculture Organization

Collaboration between WTO and FAO covers a number of areas. It's most formalized with respect to the use of international standards in the context of the SPS Agreement.

 

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See also:
> More on SPS
  

> FAO website
 

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Mandate 

The WTO's SPS Agreement states that “to harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary measures on as wide a basis as possible, Members shall base their sanitary or phytosanitary measures on international standards, guidelines or recommendations”. The Agreement names the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius as the relevant standard-setting organization for food and IPPC for plant health.

> See SPS Agreement Introduction, Article 12.3 and Annex A paragraph 3(a)

  

FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission

The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (the “Codex”). The Codex is based in Rome and funded jointly by the FAO and the WHO.

> See more details in the WTO's page about the Codex
> Codex website: http://www.codexalimentarius.net

  
FAO International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a multilateral treaty for international cooperation in plant protection. The Convention makes provision for the application of measures by governments to protect their plant resources from harmful pests (phytosanitary measures) which may be introduced through international trade. The IPPC is deposited with the Director-General of the FAO and is administered through the IPPC Secretariat located in FAO’s Plant Protection Service.

> See more details in the WTO's page about IPPC
> IPPC website: http://www.ippc.int
  

Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)

The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), is a joint initiative of the WTO, World Bank, FAO, World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health. It aims to assist developing countries establish and implement SPS standards to ensure health protection and facilitate trade expansion. It also aims to act as a forum for coordination and information sharing on SPS-related technical assistance.

> See more details on the STDF website

WTO Secretariat note: Relationship with Codex, IPPC and OIE  G/SPS/GEN/775