CCEURO32 / We must all come together to bring about the transformations the world needs
More than 120 delegates gathered online for the opening session of CCEURO32 – the FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee for Europe, the biggest Codex region encompassing 52 Member Countries from Albania to Uzbekistan. The meeting hosted by Kazakhstan but taking place virtually from FAO headquarters in Rome runs from 16 to 20 May 2022 and explores common themes of interest to the region concerning food standards and food control.
Vice-Minister of Health Care of Kazakhstan, Doctor Mrs Aizhan Yesmagambetova,
Welcoming delegates the Vice-Minister of Health Care of Kazakhstan, Chief Sanitary Doctor Mrs Aizhan Yesmagambetova described how the health of humans, animals and plants and the environment is crucial for food security with a key role played by the introduction of good practices and technologies in the food industry. “Using the one health approach in the development of Codex standards provides an opportunity to counter any threats to food systems. We are all part of one food system or another, and so we must all come together to bring about the transformations that the world needs,” she said.
Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Mr Rustem Kurmanov
The Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Mr Rustem Kurmanov highlighted how many countries including Kazakhstan were facing many factors that adversely affect the stability of food systems such as climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss and the COVID 19 pandemic. “This requires us to join forces to take systematic and comprehensive measures to address the problems and challenges of food systems and food safety, “he said.
The opening keynote address was given by Dr Marta Hugas, former Chief Scientist of the European Food Safety Authority and entitled “Sustainability of food systems and the role of Codex”, in which she explored what sustainability means for a food standards-setting body like Codex and the complexities, difficulties and challenges that this could pose. “Codex is such an important body that that we would not understand food safety in the same way we do today if we wouldn't have been for the work that Codex has also been leading along all these many decades,” she said.
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For details of the agenda and all conference documents visit the CCEURO32 meeting page
Main photo. ©FAO/Codex. Front row left to right: Farid ElHaffar, Hilde Kruse – Codex Secretariat, Nailya Karsybekova, Kazakhstan – Chairperson CCEURO, Tom Heilandt – Code Secretary, Markus Lipp – FAO.
Back row: Sarah Cahill – Codex Secretariat, Zhanar Tolysbayeva – Assistant to the Chairperson, Ilaria Tarquinio – Codex Secretariat.