Latin American countries have shown increasing interest in participating actively in the meetings of the Codex Alimentarius, to which they accord particular importance as an international instrument for perfectioning food standards.
Nevetheless, their participation in the activities of the Codex up to the present time has been very restricted owing to the limited use of the Spanish language in several committees of the Codex.
For this reason, ever since 1966, Latin American countries have persistently tried to have the Spanish language occupy its proper position, that is, as a working language, as it is considered to be in both FAO and the WHO.
Even if it is recognized that in recent years marked progress has been shown in this respect, the actual situation is still far from satisfactory for Latin American countries.
This situation continues to present a serious limitation for the expansion of their participation in several committees of the Codex which handle problems of special interest for these countries, and compels them to restate the problem at this meeting.
Recognizing that the problem of the complete use of the Spanish language in all Codex activities should be resolved as a matter of principle, the delegation of Argentina has analysed in detail the answers sent by the governments which were consulted by the Directors-General on this matter.
Moreover, before submitting this Memorandum to the Commission, it has carefully considered the different problems mentioned in those answers and has arrived at the conclusion that during the course of this present meeting of the Commission, certain flexible and reasonable decisions could be adopted, that would permit a gradual solution to the problem, without adopting measures that would be unjustified, either because of their expense or because of the practical difficulties they could present.
In this respect, it is considered that the Commission should consider the adoption of the following measures:
Establish a tentative fixed date for the complete introduction of the Spanish language in all the committees of the Codex. This date - which could be fixed towards the end of the next two years - would be re-examined after one year, in the light of the results obtained together with the rest of the measures indicated below:
Establish simultaneous interpretation into and from Spanish at all meetings of the Codex that do not as yet use Spanish and to which at least two Spanish-speaking countries have announced the intention of assisting with a minimum anticipation of two months.
Establish translation into Spanish of the Final Report of all meetings of the Committees of the Codex that do not provide it as yet and in which at least two Spanish-speaking countries have participated, provided that the foreseeable length of the report is such that relevant paragraphs of same could not be directly translated at the interpreters cabin during the submission of the draft.
In those instances in which a Committee has not yet provided a Spanish translation of the Final Report and till it does so, the translation, printing and distribution of same to Spanish-speaking countries, will be effected after the meeting by the Secretariat.
In those instances in which Committees which do not as yet use Spanish fully, and till they do so, the Secretariat will take charge of the translation into Spanish, printing and distribution to Spanish-speaking countries of all new standards or new versions of standards considered at their meetings.
To that end, countries in charge of said Committees, will anticipate, as far as possible, the submittance of such documents to the Secretariat in order that these may be distributed with sufficient time in order that interested countries may be able to submit their observations within the stipulated terms.
According as it is necessary for its consideration at meetings of the Committees or of other instruments of the Codex, the Secretariat will provide the translation, printing and distribution to Spanish-speaking countries of those standards under consideration that have not as yet been published in Spanish.
Every new committee that is established must, from the start, incorporate the use of the Spanish language in all its activities.
During its present period of sessions the Commission will determine the regulations and financial measures that it will be necessary to adopt in order to comply with the aforementioned measures.
