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
Codex Trust Fund / Workshop in Nigeria on importance of using Codex standards
The National Codex Committee of Nigeria, in collaboration with FAO Nigeria, under the sponsorship of the Codex Trust Fund, held a two-day regional workshop from 26to 27July 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria to create awareness on the importance of using Codex Standards for farmers, processors, small and medium enterprises, and to train local journalists on the reporting of Codex activities.
With more than 65 participants in attendance, the general objective of the workshop was to spread information and awareness on Codex Alimentarius and tools to ensure food safety in Nigeria. Technical sessions and breakout groups included specific training on the value of Codex food safety standards as well as discussions on how best to further disseminate the information gathered to benefit all sectors present.
Outcomes of the valuable training included recognition of the importance Codex texts play in ensuring safe, quality and nutritious food for a healthy population and supporting trade. Delegates also recognized that food safety is critical for sustainable food security in Nigeria and can be achieved through practices that conform to international food standards.
The training was covered by the Mitc news channel in Nigeria.
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