Multinational bodies¹

Aim

Originate and promote coordinated strategies that protect public health² through food, nutrition, and physical activity

Recommendations

All multinational bodies:

• Build the protection and maintenance of public health² into all relevant agriculture, food, health, economic, trade, environmental, and other agreements

United Nations bodies:

• Work together to ensure integrated policies among all relevant agencies

1. Includes policy-makers and decision-takers in international political, economic, and trade bodies such as the:

• International Monetary Fund
• World Bank
• World Trade Organization
• European Union
• North American Free Trade Association
• Southern Latin American trade association (Mercosul)
• United Nations (UN) and its constituent bodies

Key UN organisations include the:

• Food and Agriculture Organization
• World Health Organization
• Pan American Health Organization
• International Agency for Research on Cancer
• United Nations Children's Fund
• United Nations Development Programme
• UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• World Food Programme
• International Labour Office, and many others

Also includes inter-UN bodies concerned with food and nutrition, notably the UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. (For international civil society organisations and transnational industries, see Civil society organisations and Industry)

2. Includes the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases. Thus, the:

• European Union
• World Bank
• International Monetary Fund
• World Trade Organization
• Codex Alimentarius Commission

As well as other multinational bodies, especially those whose decisions have the force of law or that are otherwise binding, need to incorporate protection and maintenance of public health as an invariable part of their work.

For more details see Chaper 8 of the Policy Report, which can be accessed in our resource downloads section.