At the 49th WHO Assambly in May, 1996, the following resolution was adopted
by the member states, including the US
It is Resolution 49.15 and recalls the others.  Effectively, by accepting
this resolution, the US accepted the Code. There was an effective campaign
both at the Board meeting in January and at the WHA, especially by the
African countries and our colleagues of IBFAN..and the US voted along with
everyone else...

There was a bit of a press about it at the time, but I don't have specific
citations.


Infant and young child nutrition


The Forty-ninth World Health Assembly,

Having considered the summary of the report by the Director-General on
infant feeding and young
child nutrition;

Recalling resolutions WHA33.32, WHA34.22, WHA39.28 and WHA45.34 among
others concerning infant and young child nutrition, appropriate feeding
practices and other related
questions;

Recalling and reaffirming the provisions of resolution WHA 47.5 concerning
infant and young child nutrition, including the emphasis on fostering
appropriate complementary feeding practices;

Concerned that health institutions and ministries may be subject to subtle
pressure to accept, inappropriately, financial or other support for
professional training in infant and child health;

Noting the increasing interest in monitoring the application of the
International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and subsequent
relevant Health Assembly resolutions;

1. THANKS the Director-General for his report;

2. STRESSES the continued need to implement the International Code of
Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, subsequent relevant resolutions of
the Health Assembly, the Innocenti Declaration, and the World Declaration
and Plan of Action for Nutrition;

3. URGES Member States to take the following measures:

     (1) to ensure that complementary foods are not marketed for or used in
ways that undermine exclusive and sustained breast-feeding;

     (2) to ensure that the financial support for professionals working in
infant and young child health does not create conflicts of interest,
especially with regard to the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative;

     (3) to ensure that monitoring the application of the International
Code and subsequent relevant resolutions is carried out in a transparent,
independent manner, free from
commercial influence;

     (4) to ensure that the appropriate measures are taken including health
information and education in the context of primary health care, to
encourage breast-feeding;

     (5) to ensure that the practices and procedures of their health care
systems are  consistent with the principles and aims of the International
Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes;

     (6) to provide the Director-General with complete and detailed
information on the implementation of the Code;

4. REQUESTS the Director-General to disseminate, as soon as possible, to
Member States document WHO/NUT/96.4 (currently in preparation) on the
guiding principles for feeding infants
and young children during emergencies.

25 May 1996
Judy Canahuati, MPhil, IBCLC
PO Box #512
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Telephone: +504-50-9737
Fax:       +504-50-7482
E-mail:    [log in to unmask]

"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.
The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them
changes both the maker and the destination."  John Schaar