Collaborating with international partners
Overview
- Collaborating with international partners are one of the important priorities for Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). We can share information and experiences facing ongoing global challenges and concerns related to food, drug, cosmetics and medical device through proactive communication, which lead to appropriate response.
- MFDS has been actively involved in international cooperation activities with foreign regulatory authorities and international organizations in the field of foods, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
Bilateral Cooperation
- To lay the foundation of cooperation with foreign government agencies, the MFDS has signed more than 40 Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) and Confidential Arrangement (CA) with the EU, America, Asian countries, etc.
- Also, we have been active in sharing information such as statutes, regulations, standards, specifications, guidelines, and risk information, information on the drug registration, and exchanging expertise through symposiums and training programs.
- Please click on “Bilateral Cooperation” for more information.
International Harmonization
- Furthermore, the MFDS, as a member of multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as CODEX, ICH, ICMRA, and IMDRF, has been working hard on harmonizing the regulations on food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices as well as actively participating in various expert meetings to have Korea’s standards and guidelines incorporated into international standards.
- Please click on “International Harmonization” for more information.
Notification to WTO TBT/SPS
- To ensure transparency and avoid unnecessary trade barriers in advance the MFDS has been notifying the enactments and revisions of statutes, regulations, standards, specifications to the WTO Member States.
- Please click on “Notification to WTO TBT/SPS” for more information.
The MFDS will make every effort to reach international harmonization in regulations related to foods and medicinal products and play a greater role in the international community. In line with such objectives, the MFDS will step up bilateral cooperation with various countries through measures, including MOUs, and further strengthen multilateral cooperation with international organizations such as the World Health Organization.