1. The Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission held its Forty-eighth Session at WHO Headquarters, Geneva, from 28-29 June 2001. The Session was chaired by Mr. T. Billy (USA), Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. A full list of participants, including members of the Secretariat, is given in Appendix I.
2. In her opening remarks, Ann Kern, Executive Director, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments, WHO, stated that food safety had become recognized as an issue of major public health concern and that this concern had been given global dimensions by the increased globalization of the world food trade. As a result, food safety had been identified as one of the top priority areas of the WHO. She stated that food safety considerations were highly important where the health status of countries was at risk and noted the linkages between improved economic status and improved health status. In this regard, the ability of countries to improve their economic situation through food trade also served to improve health status. The critical issue was the development of effective regulatory processes that allowed both developments to occur and sustain each other. She noted that although it was important to focus on the impact of food safety on individuals, actions and regulatory approaches to food safety programmes needed to be evidence/based, and that this would lead to national, regional and global improvements for food safety, consumer protection and trade. Mrs Kern expressed WHO's support for the objectives to be achieved by the Chairperson's Action Plan and its general direction.
3. The Chairperson, in his response to the Executive Director, expressed appreciation for the in-principle support of WHO for the work of Codex and stated that the improving working relationships between FAO and WHO that were apparent in her statement, would be welcomed by all countries.
