Trilateral Cooperation Charter

The Trilateral Cooperation Charter (TCC) is an agreement signed February 27, 2004, between the Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, in Canada; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in the United States; and the Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks, Secretaria de Salud, in Mexico. [1]

Purpose

"To increase communication, collaboration, and the exchange of information among the three countries in the areas of drugs, biologics, medical devices, food safety and nutrition to protect and promote human health." [2]

Mission

"To protect and promote public health through a trilateral forum that shares information and works collaboratively on issues of mutual interest." [3]

Working Groups

"The Trilateral Cooperation undertakes its work through Working Groups. Three Co-chairs representing each country head each Working Group. The Co-chairs are responsible for identifying issues for discussion and for seeking the Steering Committee's support. Current Working Groups include the following: [4]

• Canada-US-Mexico Compliance Information Group (CUMCIG): Its purpose is to increase the exchange of emergency preparedness and response, compliance and enforcement information between the three countries. The Group coordinates related enforcement activities with counterpart agencies in appropriate cases. Lead Country: United States of America.
• Mexico-US-Canada Health Fraud Group (MUCH): Its purpose is to maintain a formal framework for cooperation in combating health fraud and to identify appropriate lines of communication to ensure a continual exchange of information on compliance and enforcement activities among the three countries. Lead Country: Mexico.
• Laboratory Cooperation Working Group: Its purpose is to establish and maintain cooperation in the area of regulatory laboratory operations. Through continual discussions, this group is expected to share information with a view to building confidence in our respective analytical results. Lead Country: Canada.
• Canada-US-Mexico Training Working Group: Its purpose is to share existing training information, establish a communication strategy between the Training Working Group and the other Working Groups, and to assist in identifying training needs of staff who will be engaged in Trilateral work. Lead Country: United States of America.

External links

• Charter posted on FDA website.
• Mike Adams, "John Hammell of International Advocates for Health Freedom discusses health freedom under siege; Part 2," NewsTarget.com, October 18, 2006.