Summary report of West Africa and SAHEL food safety convergence meeting, 18 to 22 July 2022, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), organized a Regional Meeting on Food Safety Regulation Convergence from 18 to 22 July 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The meeting was attended by Codex Contact Point Officers, National Plant Health Protection Officers, Chief Veterinary Officers, Private Sector Representatives and other experts from fifteen ECOWAS Member States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo); Chad and Mauritania. There was also participation of Representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, UEMOA, EAC, CILSS, CORAF, AU-IBAR, FAO, WHO, CCAFRICA, IPPC Secretariat, UMAP-GHANA, USDA/FAS, USDA/APHIS, USAID and Laval University, Canada, ACEMFS.
The Workshop was opened by Mr. N’guettia Rene, Deputy Minister for Agriculture for Côte d'Ivoire. There were also statements from the African Union, CCAFRICA, ECOWAS, USDA, and IPPC. The meeting involved a series of presentations, group discussions and plenary discussions. Key issues discussed in the meeting included:
- Update on the status of national Codex structures
- Mechanism for Convergence of Food Regulatory Measures amongst Countries of the Economic Community of Western African States
- Review and update of the statutes of the network of food safety actors of West Africa
Major outcomes of the meeting were the adoption of the:
- Mechanism for Convergence of Food Regulatory Measures amongst countries of ECOWAS and the Sahel
- Terms of Reference for the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC) and action plan for the implementation of the FoRHC
- Statutes of the Network of Food Safety Actors of West Africa
The meeting thanks technical and donor partners including USDA, USAID, FAO and Laval University, Canada.
The meeting concluded with the following Recommendations
Recommendations
TO ECOWAS Commission and its partners
- to ensure effective coordination and facilitate the operationalization of the adopted West African Food Safety Stakeholders' Network as well as the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC)
- to mobilize resources to ensure the effective implementation of the agreed action plan using an incremental approach
To Member States
- to facilitate and ensure effective participation of relevant experts and technical resources in the work of the adopted West African Food Safety Stakeholders' Network as well as the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC)
Learn more
News from the region available on the CCAFRICA web pages
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
Summary report of West Africa and SAHEL food safety convergence meeting, 18 to 22 July 2022, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), organized a Regional Meeting on Food Safety Regulation Convergence from 18 to 22 July 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The meeting was attended by Codex Contact Point Officers, National Plant Health Protection Officers, Chief Veterinary Officers, Private Sector Representatives and other experts from fifteen ECOWAS Member States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo); Chad and Mauritania. There was also participation of Representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, UEMOA, EAC, CILSS, CORAF, AU-IBAR, FAO, WHO, CCAFRICA, IPPC Secretariat, UMAP-GHANA, USDA/FAS, USDA/APHIS, USAID and Laval University, Canada, ACEMFS.
The Workshop was opened by Mr. N’guettia Rene, Deputy Minister for Agriculture for Côte d'Ivoire. There were also statements from the African Union, CCAFRICA, ECOWAS, USDA, and IPPC. The meeting involved a series of presentations, group discussions and plenary discussions. Key issues discussed in the meeting included:
- Update on the status of national Codex structures
- Mechanism for Convergence of Food Regulatory Measures amongst Countries of the Economic Community of Western African States
- Review and update of the statutes of the network of food safety actors of West Africa
Major outcomes of the meeting were the adoption of the:
- Mechanism for Convergence of Food Regulatory Measures amongst countries of ECOWAS and the Sahel
- Terms of Reference for the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC) and action plan for the implementation of the FoRHC
- Statutes of the Network of Food Safety Actors of West Africa
The meeting thanks technical and donor partners including USDA, USAID, FAO and Laval University, Canada.
The meeting concluded with the following Recommendations
Recommendations
TO ECOWAS Commission and its partners
- to ensure effective coordination and facilitate the operationalization of the adopted West African Food Safety Stakeholders' Network as well as the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC)
- to mobilize resources to ensure the effective implementation of the agreed action plan using an incremental approach
To Member States
- to facilitate and ensure effective participation of relevant experts and technical resources in the work of the adopted West African Food Safety Stakeholders' Network as well as the Food Regulatory Harmonization Committee (FoRHC)
Learn more
News from the region available on the CCAFRICA web pages
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