Report of the Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and WHO Food Standards Work
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Purpose and Conduct of the Evaluation
(from the Executive Summary)
1. The evaluation was commissioned by FAO and WHO and was also designed to meet the request for a review by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The terms of reference specify that the evaluation should provide an input into decision making on future policy, strategy and management at the level of FAO and WHO Governing Bodies and their respective secretariats and to the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. It was to make recommendations for the future relevance of standards or alternative approaches in meeting overall objectives in consumer protection, especially for health, and in fair practices for food trade. Particular attention was to be paid to the needs of developing countries. Although the evaluation concentrates on Codex, it covers all aspects of the food standards work of FAO and WHO, which includes capacity building and expert scientific advice.
2. The work of the evaluation was undertaken by an independent team advised by an independent expert panel. The evaluation team consisted of five persons, three of whom, including the team leader, were external to the two Organizations. The independent expert panel had 10 members drawn from all parts of the world and stakeholder interests. At meetings between the evaluation team and the expert panel, key issues, procedures and recommendations of the evaluation were agreed. The evaluation also benefited from the advice of the Codex Executive Committee.
3. In the conduct of the evaluation, members of the evaluation team visited 24 countries in all parts of the world and at all levels of development and also the European Commission. During these visits they held discussions with civil servants responsible for health, agriculture and food, industry, trade and standard setting and with representatives of primary producers, industry, consumers and other sections of civil society. They also had discussions with other international standard setting organizations. A questionnaire was sent to all members of Codex and non-Codex members of FAO and WHO (103 replies received of 186 sent out). A further questionnaire was sent to Codex and WHO - INGO and IGO Observers1 (40 replies received). There were two calls for comments on the Internet, the first completely open, the second targeted to national NGOs. The evaluation team also met with key informants involved with Codex, including the Chairman and other members of the Executive Committee, Chairs of some Codex committees and staff of the Codex and the FAO and WHO secretariats. A number of background papers were used, including several prepared by members of the expert panel (see Annex 6).