G/SPS/GEN/1534  
 
7 March 2017  
(17-1357) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
WHY INVEST IN THE FA O/WHO CODEX TRUST FU ND? 
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE FAO/WHO CODEX TRU ST FUND  
TO THE MARCH 2017 SE SSION OF THE SPS COM MITTEE  
The followi ng communication, received on 6 March  2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund. 
 
_______________  
 
 
1.  The FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund came into being on 1 January 2016 for a period of 12 years to 
support countries to build strong, solid and sustainable national capacity to engage in the work of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
2.  When countries invest in the international food safety standards they are making an important 
investment that brings a quadruple return:  
1) protection of consumer health everywhere in the world;  
2) reduction in the economic cost of illness and death from unsafe food ; 
3) economic gains from safe trade in food;  and 
4) more sustainable food production, including reduction in food losses.  
3.  Investing in the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund ensures that all countries can engage fully and 
effectively in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. When all countries participate in 
Codex the resulting standards are truly global standards of relevance to all countries, and can be 
the basis for national standards to protect consumer health and facilitate the trade of the country.  
4.  Support fr om the Codex Trust Fund is provided for individual countries or groups of countries 
for up to three years. Currently 103 countries are eligible for support. Four countries were 
successful in the first application round in 2016 and began implementation of a ctivities in January 
2017. A new application round is planned for 2017.  
5.  Supported by the Codex Trust Fund, countries can implement  an array of activities such as : 
building awareness among policy and decision -makers to gain the political and financial suppo rt for 
Codex activities; strengthening the functioning of the national Codex Contact Point and National 
Codex Committee (or equivalent); building the capacity of national officials working in the area of 
food safety and Codex to prepare for and participate  effectively in Codex work at national, regional 
and international levels; building country capacity to provide scientific and technical input to the 
international food standard setting process.  
6.  US$3.3 million per year is needed to support each eligible c ountry at least once in the 12 year 
lifespan of the Codex Trust Fund. The Codex  Trust Fund currently has a US$ 5.5 million funding gap 
for the period 2017 -2019.  
 G/SPS/GEN/1534  
 
- 2 - 
 
  
2,008,223
26%
5,575,883
74%Estimated Total Required 2017 -2019 
(US$7,584,106)
Funds committed Funding Gap 
 
1,307,4872,073,986 2,194,410
0.00500,000.001,000,000.001,500,000.002,000,000.002,500,000.003,000,000.00
2017 2018 2019Estimated budget  US$Codex Trust Fund -Yearly Funding Gap (2017 -2019)
Funds committed Funding Gap
 
 
7.  FAO, WHO, the Codex Secretariat and the Codex Trust Fund are requesting members of the 
SPS Committee to raise awareness within their line ministries, as well as ministries of economic, 
affairs, trade and development of the importance of supporting food safety and Codex work by 
making a contribution to the Codex Trust Fund. We stand ready to wo rk with all interested parties 
to secure new contributions to the Codex Trust Fund, increase the level of current contributions, 
and find ways to receive multi -year contributions to improve the predictability and sustainability of 
funding in future years.  
8.  The FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund looks forward to your support.  
 
__________