EAC Partner States convene for the 20th EAC Codex Forum meeting in Kigali to advance food safety and Codex matters in the region

By Lilian Gabriel Peter, EAC Codex Forum Chairperson and Ms Niyonshuti Rosine, EAC Codex Forum Secretary

From 6 to 9 October 2026, the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat convened the 20th EAC Codex Forum Meeting at Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) head office in Kigali, Rwanda.

The regional meeting was attended by delegates from seven EAC Partner States including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania as well as representatives from the EAC Secretariat and the European Union (EU)-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme II (MARKUPII) implemented through the International Trade Centre (ITC).

The meeting was opened by  Ms Marlene Kanyange Director of the Standards Publication, Training and Technical Assistance (SPTTA) Unit at Rwanda Standards Board who emphasized the Forum’s collective work being vital for ensuring food safety, protecting consumer health, and facilitating fair trade across the East African Community and stressed that generating regional common positions prior to Codex committee meetings ensures that international standards reflect local and regional realities, protecting consumers and preventing unjustified and unnecessary technical barriers to trade.

In order to foster effective engagement of the EAC in Codex work the session was convened to specifically prepare regional EAC common positions for the upcoming 28th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS28) and the 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF19).

At the strategic level, the Codex forum meeting considered and adopted the Resource Mobilization Strategy and Communication and Advocacy Strategy that are critical tools to support the implementation of the ambitious five-year EAC Codex Forum Strategic Plan (2026–2031). The two strategies will provide direction on financial sustainability and unified messaging necessary to transform the region's strategic vision into reality and effectively advocate for its food safety priorities regionally.

Ms Lilian Gabriel Peter, the EAC Codex Forum Chairperson, led the discussions that contributed to a stronger and more resilient regional Codex system supporting safer food, increased intra-regional trade and greater competitiveness of East African products in international markets. In the same spirit, Mr Ramadhan Mfaume, representing the EAC Secretariat reiterated the Forum’s foundational goal of harmonizing regional approaches to develop common positions in the Codex Alimentarius process.

The representative of the EU-funded MARKUP II programme, Dr Sambwe Fundikira, ITC Technical Advisor stressed that securing predictable financing and ensuring clear communication are decisive factors for the Strategic Plan’s success, marking a vital regional commitment to owning and funding its food safety agenda.

The key outcomes from the session included adopting regional conference room documents covering matters of interest for the upcoming CCFICS28 and CCCF19 which are useful documents to guide Partner States in the EAC to effectively contribute to the discussions in the Codex committees.