With this edition of the manual, FAO is establishing a new procedure for the development of pesticide specifications in a transparent manner. The specifications may be used to provide an international point of reference against which products can be judged, either for regulatory purposes or in commercial dealings, thereby helping to prevent the trading, sale and use of inferior products, and will contribute towards public and environmental safety throughout the world, especially in developing countries

The FAO/WHO Manual on development and use of FAO and WHO specifications for pesticides contains general principles and methodologies of the work undertaken by JMPS, is the continuous evaluation of new scientific developments and guidance documents. The Manual gives the historical background of the operation of the JMPS and describes the purpose of the work. The Manual is also used by countries as a guidance document in setting pesticide specifications. This 3rd revision of the Manual contains n ew methodologies/principles developed in recent 5 years and incorporates the current working principles applied by the JMPS.

The Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is intended to help Member Governments participate effectively in the work of the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The manual is particularly useful for national delegations attending Codex meetings and for international organizations attending as observers. It sets out the basic Rules of Procedure, procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts, basic definitions and guidelines for the operation of Codex committees. It also gives the membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Also published in French and Spanish.

During the 1990s, Suriname was subject to exogenous shocks that were exacerbated by inadequate macroeconomic policy responses. During that decade, fiscal and monetary policies tended to vastly amplify the effects of negative shocks to bauxite export receipts, leading to various episodes of nearhyperinflation. Output growth was also highly volatile, reflecting to some extent the countrys dependence on mining exports, but more so the highly inadequate macroeconomic policies. In recent years, the outlook has turned substantively more positive. The favorable external environment and the stability-oriented policies of the Venetiaan administration have boosted confidence in the economy, leading to increased investment, domestic economic activity, and employment. Nonetheless, the economy continues to be based largely on commodity exports, mainly bauxite, oil, and gold, while nontraditional agricultural exports face significant developmental and export hurdles. A detai