2) The Session was opened by Professor Pakdee Pothisiri, Chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Prof. Pothisiri emphasized the importance of Codex in the framework of the World Trade Organization Agreements on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) which call for Member countries to follow international standards and codes as set out by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In this regard, he pointed out that FAO and WHO would continue to provide assistance to Member countries in the Region in all aspects of food safety and quality control systems, as well as to strengthen National Codex Committees and Codex Contact Points. This would assist governments to base their food laws, technical regulations and food standards on Codex texts in order to meet the requirements of the WTO Agreements.
3) Mr. Sergio Chiesa, Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, welcomed all delegates on behalf of the Government of Uruguay. Mr. Chiesa highlighted the importance of the work of the Committee for the Region as a regional forum to exchange information on food control and safety issues and to consider relevant issues, as discussed in worldwide Codex committees. He pointed out that time had come for the Committee to concentrate in "exercising a general coordinating role for the region" in order to reflect better the interests of the Region in the Commission’s decisions.
