Page 24 - Trade and Food Standards

FAO is founded
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) meets for the first time
WHO is founded
1945
1948
1956
1963
Inaugural meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is held in Rome
1995
The World Trade Organization
The WTO is the sole global organization mandated to deal with the rules of trade between nations. WTO members come together to negotiate these rules, which take the form of trade agreements, adopted by consensus. The WTO also oversees the application of these rules and monitors the trade policies of its members. The overarching purpose of the WTO system is to help trade flow as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible, which is important for economic development and well-being. The opening of national markets to international trade, with justifiable exceptions and adequate flexibilities, contributes to sustainable development, poverty alleviation and the improvement of living
conditions. The WTO’s technical assistance programme plays an important role to ensure that all members are aware of their obligations and can make the most of their rights. When members disagree, they can, as a last resort, trigger the WTO’s dispute-settlement mechanism to find a solution.
Although the focus at the time of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) – the internationally negotiated post-Second World War instrument that gave rise to the WTO – was on ordinary customs duties ("tariffs"), today the focus has broadened to other types of measures that affect trade – including regulations and standards. A key development in this respect was the advent of the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements.
WTO is founded
12 Trade and food standards