Eighteen Member States from Eastern and Southern African region meet to engage on enhancing Codex work management

By John Oppong-Otoo, Food Safety Officer at AU-IBAR
and Hakim Mufumbiro, Regional Coordinator CCAFRICA

A total of 18 Member States (Botswana, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia) met from 20 to 22 April 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda as part of the initiatives to enhance Codex work management within the Member States on the continent.

The regional workshop was held to mainly undertake an assessment of the status of operation and performance of Codex Contact Points (CCPs) and National Codex Committees (NCC) of the Eastern and Southern African Regions, examine the level of participation of Member States including key actors in Codex activities, as well as provide a platform to share experiences and best practices of management of Codex activities from the different countries.

During the opening of the workshop, the Director General of Rwanda Standards Board, Mr. Raymond Murenzi, remarked that there was steadily increasing value of international trade in agricultural and food products, almost five-fold in the last three decades and that the increase is expected to continue hence the need for adoption and implementation of internationally recognized Codex standards which are key in supporting fair food trade and protecting the health and safety of consumers.

The Vice Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Dr. Allan Azegele underscored the timeliness of the regional workshop as it supports achieving specifically Goal 3 (Increase impact through the recognition and use of Codex standards) and Goal 4 (Facilitate the participation of all Codex Members throughout the standard setting process) as provided in the Codex Strategic Plan (2020 – 2025).

The Coordinator for CCAFRICA, Mr. Hakim Mufumbiro highlighted the need for Member States in the ESA region to enhance their effective participation in Food Safety and Codex activities while leveraging on the available resources provided through the Codex Trust Fund to build strong, solid and sustainable National Codex systems.

On behalf of the Ag. Director, African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Mr. John Oppong-Otoo, the Food Safety Officer at AU-IBAR emphasized the importance of Codex standards on the continent in spurring intra-Africa trade as envisaged in The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He further highlighted the relevance of building strong networks in the region and urged Member States to always seek out capacity building support in areas related to food safety and Codex systems.

Mr. Raymond Murenzi, DG, Rwanda Standards Board, Mr. John Oppong-Otoo, Food Safety Officer, AU-IBAR and Mr. Hakim Mufumbiro, CCAFRICA Coordinator

The main outcome of the workshop was the adoption of the model national Codex structure by the Member States from the two regions. It was also recommended at the session to coordinate a continental mentorship/twinning program and exchange visits between the Member States in Africa to build capacities and enhance Codex work management and tailor support for the specific Member States with low participation in Codex work.

Members States were encouraged to strengthen or establish their national Codex structures using the adopted model national Codex structure, to intensify sensitization and awareness of experts, policymakers, and all relevant stakeholders on the importance of Codex activities including celebration of World Food Safety Day (WFSD) 2022, to take up leadership roles in electronic working groups (EWGs) especially for priority Codex issues, to participate in ongoing work at the Commission, Executive Committee and CCAFRICA and to take advantage of the support provided through the Codex Trust Fund.

Ms. Lephutshe Ada Senwelo, CCP for Botswana indicated to have gained insights with regard to preparation and participation in EWGs and Committees as well as approaches of influencing and shaping the decisions in Codex sessions. She further committed to mobilize, engage and interest experts in Botswana to participate in Codex activities as well as restricting of the NCC and building a strong liaison with Botswana Bureau of Standards.

As a take home, Ms.  Rosine Niyonshuti, CCP for Rwanda pledged to enhance coordination of Codex activities at the national level as well as share the knowledge with technical secretaries of the subcommittees.

The CCP for Zambia, Ms. Doreen Sakala Sianjani learnt about the work that Africa region is doing in improving Codex work and strategies on how to influence decisions in Codex sessions. The need to reorganize and reorient the organization of Codex work in Zambia and ensure key stakeholders are incorporated was a key insight she picked at the workshop and pledged to work closely with all NCC members and Zambia Bureau of Standards to strengthen Codex work since they are hosting the subcommittees.

Mr. Rajesh Gopaul who represented the CCP for Mauritius enjoyed the active engagement and exchange during the workshop by the Member States and committed to enhance effective communication within the CCP and with other national stakeholders to take advantage of the benefits of participating in Codex activities.

The regional Codex work management workshop was supported by AU-IBAR, which is the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Codex Contact Point, as well as United States Department of Agriculture and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation.

Learn more

Visit the CCAFRICA regional web pages

About AU-IBAR

The African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) provides leadership in the development of animal resources for Africa. By supporting and empowering the African Union (AU) Member States and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AU-IBAR's vision is that of an Africa free from hunger and poverty in which animal resources make a significant contribution within the global arena. AU-IBAR's mandate covers all aspects of animal resources, including livestock, fisheries and wildlife, across the entire African continent.