ALINORM 03/26/1 - codex - BSN

REP12/CAC 29
group, taking into account all written comments submitted and those made during the CCEXEC. The
CCEXEC had further agreed to establish a sub-committee, to be chaired by Dr Samuel Godefroy, Vicechairperson
and open to all CCEXEC members, to further develop the draft Strategic Plan, in accordance
with a procedure agreed at the CCEXEC. The sub-committee was tasked to
By the end of July 2012: Complete the draft Strategic Plan 2014-2019, taking into account the
discussion at the 35 th Commission and including proposed performance indicators and the workplan;
Through the Codex Secretariat send this draft to all FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees for
discussion and input;
By mid March 2013: Finalise the Strategic Plan 2014-2019 based on the inputs of the FAO/WHO
Coordinating Committees.
184. The Commission agreed to consider the draft Strategic Plan, as presented in Appendix II of
REP12/EXEC2, to provide guidance to the Sub-Committee of the CCEXEC, and to focus the discussion on
the strategic goals and their objectives. It was noted that the activities would be further elaborated once the
strategic goals and its objectives were finalised and that a logical framework with a work plan, timelines and
performance indicators would be further developed by the sub-committee of the CCEXEC before the text
would be sent to the Coordinating Committees.
Discussion
185. There was general agreement with the preparatory work done in developing the draft Strategic Plan
and the process that would be followed in its further development proposed by the CCEXEC.
186. In the following, comments and proposals made at the Session, excluding activities, are reflected to be
transmitted to the CCEXEC sub-committee for further discussion and possible inclusion in the draft Strategic
Plan.
General Comments
187. Some general issues were highlighted:
- Emerging issues and climate change should be taken into account as drivers that will influence and
shape the future of the food safety agenda;
- The importance of nutrition should be more prominently included in the Strategic Plan,considering
that Codex had done well on food safety and could make progress on nutrition quality of food
products to respond to the objective of WHO of preventing non-communicable diseases;
- The plan should not only focus on food safety issues but also address issues related to fair practices in
the food trade; and
- Factors such as emerging risks, food security, effects of shifting population patterns and climate
change should be discussed in a general statement that could be inserted after the Strategic Vision.
Specific comments
Strategic vision
188. It was suggested that:
- The statement should be written as a vision of how Codex is seen in future and not like an objective.
- The statement should include the words “Codex Alimentarius Commission” so that it was clear to
whom the statement referred;
- Rather than being the “pre-eminent body” Codex should be the “trusted body” for development of
standards;
- Codex should be “the only body” for standard-setting so as to avoid the development of private
standards, however it was recognised that there were other standard-setting bodies such as ISO;
- The preservation of the environment should be included; and
- The words “to protect ..” should be changed to “to contribute to the protection ..” since Codex
standards are voluntary and do not directly protect consumers if they are not complied with.