The CCAFRICA Region - Regional Coordinator Uganda
The ‘Coordinating Committee for Africa’ was established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1972 with a mandate to “exercise general coordination in the preparation of standards relating to the region of Africa”. The committee held its first meeting at FAO in 1974, with 19 countries in attendance.
As the new regional coordinator begins their term, the Agreement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into effect in May 2020, has reinforced the need for an efficient and effective system for managing sanitary and phytosanitary measures, in particular food safety, across the continent as its borders open for trade.
The regional coordinator is based in the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives which oversees, as part of its mandate, the promotion and use of standards.
As regional coordinator, Uganda intends to engage closely with countries via surveys, webinars and workshops to identify needs and emerging issues, create awareness of priority food safety issues and of Codex standards. A pilot study will also explore the food safety situation in broader terms across the region. By strengthening engagement with regional bodies such as the African Union, the African Organisation for Standardisation and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Uganda also aims to enhance advocacy work in the region.
CCAFRICA Coordinator
All information on Codex is public and free.
For regional enquiries contact:
CCAFRICA Secretariat
Uganda National Bureau of Standards Plot 2 - 12, Bypass Link, Industrial
& Business park, Kyaliwajala road,
P.O Box 6329 Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 (041) 7333250 / 0417333251 / 0417333252
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.unbs.go.ug
Malawi launches Codex Trust Fund Project to build national capacity
Malawi launched its Codex Trust Fund Project on 1 April 2021 at the Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.
The Minister of Health for Malawi, the Honourable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP, presided over the launch of the project entitled: “Building Strong, Solid and Sustainable National Capacity to Engage in Codex”.
The launch was attended by various stakeholders whose activities are related to Codex, food safety, agriculture, trade, health and human nutrition. These included Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies from Agriculture, Health, Trade, Industry and Local Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Development Partners such as WHO and FAO, participants from academia and industry, and various media houses.
The main objective of the Malawi project is to have a strengthened and functional Codex structure in Malawi that would enhance effective participation in Codex work. The launch was also an opportunity for the country to raise awareness of Codex activities at national level and its importance in advancing national food safety and facilitating food trade.
Participants at the launch from all food safety stakeholder groups
Speaking during launch, the Chairperson of the National Codex Committee (NCC) for Malawi, Dr Patrick Chikungwa, said the project had come at the right time when Africa will be trading as a region under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and Malawi, as a member of the AfCFTA, will need to adopt standards that are based on international standards.
The Secretary for Health, Dr Charles Mwansambo, emphasized on the need to improve food safety in Malawi through strengthened Codex structures. He further said that the project also complements FAO support to the Government of Malawi under the project “Strengthening the national Food Control Systems in Malawi”which is enhancing the policy and legal framework for food control in Malawi, establishing a national risk basis for the food control system and defining and implementing a food safety risk communication approach.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Health thanked development partners especially FAO and WHO for their commitment to support the implementation of this project, which would strengthen Codex structures in Malawi, thereby improving food safety in the country. She assured the participants at the launch that the Ministry of Health had noted the challenges the National Codex Committee was facing, and that going forward, the Ministry and other key Ministries will provide support to Codex activities including implementation of the project in the country.
Learn more about the Codex Trust Fund
Leave a comment