Regulators Forum - Tokyo November 2002
In November 2002, a second Asia Pacific Regional Regulators' Forum was held in Tokyo, Japan. The Forum was co-chaired by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau of Japan, and was held in conjunction with the World Self-Medication Industry (WSMI) 5th Asia Pacific Regional Conference.
The Forum followed on from the success of the Regulators' Forum held in Sydney in 2000, with a continuation of a strong cooperative and collaborative approach amongst the therapeutic goods Asia Pacific regional regulators in sharing experiences on the regulation of non-prescription medicines.
Discussions were held on new technologies and the growing use of internet technology, harmonisation of terminology, and the possible development of broad collaborative guidelines between regional regulators. Discussions were beneficial in recognising a need for common understanding of the many global issues faced by regulators and provided a strong foundation for future cooperation.
A declaration known as the "Tokyo Declaration 2002 A Shared Vision" was developed and draws on the principles agreed to by regional regulators in the "Sydney 2000" declaration.