[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45121-45122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18519]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Ad Hoc 
Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on 
November 21, 2019. The objective of the public meeting is to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft 
United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 7th Session of 
the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (TFAMR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in 
Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, December 9-13, 2019. The U.S. Manager 
for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign 
Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 7th 
Session of the TFAMR and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for November 21, 2019, from 
1:00-4:00 EST.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place in Meeting Room 107-A of 
the Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250. 
Documents related to the 7th Session of the TFAMR will be accessible 
via the internet at the following address: http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/en/.
    Dr. Donald A. Prater, U.S. Delegate to the 7th Session of the 
TFAMR, invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments 
electronically to the following email address: 
[email protected].
    Call-In-Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting 
for the 7th Session of the TFAMR by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number: 888-844-9904 and participant code 5126092.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by November 18, 2019. Early registration 
is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building. The 
meeting will take place in a Federal building. Attendees should bring 
photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass through the 
security screening systems. Attendees who are not able to attend the 
meeting in person, but who wish to participate, may do so by phone, as 
discussed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: About the 7th Session of the TFAMR, 
contact U.S. Delegate, Dr. Donald Prater, Assistant Commissioner for 
Food Safety Integration, Office of Food and Veterinary Medicine, Food 
and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 
20993; phone: +1 (301) 348-3007, email: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: U.S. 
Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture 
Building, Washington, DC 20250. Phone 202 720 7760, Fax: (202) 720-
3157, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Codex was established in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, 
the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health 
Organization. Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, 
and other guidelines developed by its committees, and by promoting 
their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to 
protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food 
trade.
    The Terms of Reference of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task 
Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR) are:
    (a) To review and revise as appropriate the Code of Practice to 
Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (CAC/RCP 61-20005) to 
address the entire food chain, in line with the mandate of Codex;
    (b) To consider the development of Guidance on Integrated 
Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, taking into account the 
guidance developed by the WHO Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance 
of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) and relevant World Organization 
for Animal Health (OIE) documents.
    The TFAMR is hosted by the Republic of Korea. The United States 
attends the TFAMR as a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 7th Session of the TFAMR 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

[squ] Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
subsidiary bodies
[squ] Matters arising from FAO, WHO, and OIE

[[Page 45122]]

[squ] Proposed draft revision of the Code of Practice to Minimize and 
Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (CSX 61-2005)
[squ] Proposed draft Guidelines on the Integrated Surveillance of 
Antimicrobial Resistance

Public Meeting

    At the November 21, 2019 public meeting, draft U.S. positions on 
the agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will 
have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written 
comments may be offered at the meeting or sent to Dr. Donald Prater, 
U.S. Delegate for the 7th Session of the TFAMR (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 7th Session 
of the TFAMR.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, the U.S. Codex Office will 
announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the USDA web 
page located at: https://www.usda.gov/codex, a link that also offers an 
email subscription service providing access to information related to 
Codex. Customers can add or delete their subscription themselves and 
have the option to password protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative. Send your completed complaint form or letter 
to USDA by mail, fax, or email.
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
    Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on August 22, 2019.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2019-18519 Filed 8-27-19; 8:45 am]
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