Invitation to Physical Working Group on Codex work on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

The 39th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC39) (Rome, Italy, 27 June - 1st July 2016), considered a document regarding Codex Work on Antimicrobial Resistance (CX/CAC 16/39/12) and recognised the need for Codex to make concrete steps to address the urgency of AMR, to proceed in an expeditious way and to show the leadership that was expected from Codex as the preeminent international food standards setting body.

CAC39 agreed to:

i) Establish an Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR), with the Terms of Reference (ToR) as presented in Appendix VIII of REP 16/CAC, to be hosted by the Republic of Korea (to start work after CAC40 in July 2017);

ii) Establish a Physical Working Group (PWG), chaired by the United Kingdom and co-chaired by Australia and the United States, to work in English, French and Spanish and open to all Members and Observers, with the following tasks:
- Revise the project documents for new work (CX/CAC 16/39/12, Appendix 1, part 1 and 2)
- Revise the terms of reference for the request for scientific advice to FAO and WHO in collaboration with OIE (CX/CAC 16/39/12, Appendix 3)

iii) Request FAO and WHO to develop a capacity development programme to respond to the needs identified.

The United Kingdom and its co-chairs from the governments of Australia and the United States are pleased to inform you that the Physical Working Group (PWG), established by CAC39 will be held in London, United Kingdom at 15Hatfields, Chadwick Court, London, SE1 8DJ from Tuesday 29 November – Friday 2 December 2016.

The PWG will be conducted in English, French and Spanish.

In order to facilitate the work of the PWG, a pre-consultation will be undertaken electronically with all interested members and observers to assist in the preparation of documents for the meeting. The United States in their capacity as co-chair has kindly volunteered to coordinate this work. Members and observers wishing to participate in the pre-consultation work to prepare the documents are invited to send an email, providing their name, title, member country or international organization, by 2 September to:

United Kingdom: mike.oneill@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
USA: Kenneth.lowery@fsis.usda.gov
Australia: codex.contact@agriculture.gov.au