1. Member States should formulate national policies on traditional medicines taking into particular consideration the traditional processing of herbal preparations and raw materials within local communities. Emphasis should be placed on the development or updating of national legislation for registration and licensing of industrially-prepared herbal medicines, as well as for the regulation of traditional medical practice as an integral component of the national health system.

2. WHO should continue to co-operate with governmental institutions in developing and updating guidelines on the assessment of the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.

3. WHO should update quality control methods for medicinal materials including the introduction of new technical methods, e.g. capillary electrophoresis to replace solvent extraction and solvent-mixture TLC or HPLC techniques.

4. WHO should continue to compile knowledge on the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines, including development of WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants.

5. WHO should consult on a definition for the terms “traditional” or “herbal” medicine and “drugs” and how these should be delineated from the terms “food” and “dietary supplements”.

6. WHO should collaborate with Member States to strengthen the safety monitoring of herbal medicines.

7. WHO and Regional Offices should work together to organise training courses for national authorities and traditional medicine practitioners on assuring the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.

8. WHO should continue to disseminate information and assure fast and wide availability of all relevant documents via electronic media and the internet.

9. WHO should continue to prepare similar guidelines in related fields of traditional medicine, especially on the quality and safety of homoeopathic products.