A Senate Appropriations Committee report released last week stressed the need for U.S. leadership in international organizations and called for greater accountability from groups including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

“The dairy foods industry fully supports the Senate Appropriation Committee’s call for international organizations to adhere to the highest standards of transparency and accountability to member states,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M, IDFA president and CEO. “We believe this is particularly critical when crafting policies and recommendations for countries to adopt domestically.”

Language in the report accompanying the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Bill – passed last week by the Senate Appropriations Committee –  requires a cost-benefit analysis of U.S. contributions to a number of international organizations.

“In the United States, our industry is held accountable for complying with rigorous regulations, required to be transparently developed, scientifically based and cost-effective,” Dykes said. “The end result is that the U.S. dairy industry is a global leader in food safety. We believe that international policymaking bodies should be held to the same high level of accountability if members of these organizations want to see real benefits.”

The bill requiring the cost-benefit analysis now awaits a full vote in the Senate. Read the committee report here.

IDFA is an active member of the Engaging America’s Global Leadership (EAGL) coalition, a group focused on fostering effective U.S. leadership to address the growing number of activities at global institutions that may have a negative impact on U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and jobs. IDFA will continue to engage in the coalition to ensure these institutions consistently produce fair and cost-effective policies that do not unjustly impact the U.S. dairy foods industry. 

Members with questions may contact John Allan, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs and international standards, at jallan@idfa.org for more information.