One of the most important tasks of the NIHS is the pursuit of energetic and continuous international activities and cooperation in diverse areas. Good examples include the publication of our research results in international academic journals and collaboration with foreign institutions. International cooperation encompasses safety evaluation of chemicals in the IPCS, establishment of food product standards in the CAC, safety evaluation of food additives in the JECFA, safety evaluation of pesticide residues in food products in the JMPR, evaluation of the carcinogenic properties of chemicals in the IARC, and microbiological risk management in the JEMRA, which are part of WHO's activities. Other examples include safety evaluation of irradiated food products at FAO/IAEA, and establishment of standards in medical devices and their materials, and tissue engineered medical devices at the ISO. OECD-related examples of cooperation include projects for evaluating the safety of existing chemicals and newly developed food products, and the development and revision of toxicity testing guidelines. Furthermore, the NIHS takes part in projects related to the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) in Japan, the United States, and Europe, harmonization among the Japanese, United States and European pharmacopoeia as well as to the Western Pacific Regional Forum for the Harmonization of Herbal Medicines (FHH) in the Western Pacific region.
In the area of technical assistance-related activities, the NIHS accepts trainees from other countries to provide them with training, while also implementing an expert exchange program through JICA and the WPRO.
CAC: Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FHH: Western Pacific Regional Forum for the Harmonization of Herbal Medicines
IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency
IARC: International Agency for Research on Cancer
ICH: International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use
IPCS: International Program on Chemical Safety
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
JECFA: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
JEMRA: Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment
JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency
JMPR: Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues
OECD: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
WHO: World Health Organization
WPRO: Western Pacific Regional Office of WHO
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