Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2005

25 - 28 January 2005

CODEX - Coordinating Committee for Africa (16th Session), Rome, Italy

The Sixteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa reached the following conclusions:

• Generally supported the revision work undertaken by the CCGP of the Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food (para. 8);
• Expressed its appreciation to FAO and WHO for their efforts to make the Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex operational and also thanked the donor countries for their contributions and agreed that there was the need to expand the assistance of the Trust Fund to other food safety related activities to enhance the effectiveness of countries' participation in the Codex process (para. 13);
• Generally supported the current role, geographic coverage and the Terms of Reference of the Coordinating Committee for Africa and agreed that that in many countries of the Region food control infrastructures including the Codex Contact Points (CCP) and National Codex Committees (NCC) were weak and poorly coordinated and were hampering active participation of these countries in Codex work. (paras.14-18);
• Noted the view of some delegations that while the Coordinator should maintain its current functions as ex-officio Chair of the Coordinating Committee, the role of the Member of the Executive Committee elected on a geographical basis was ambiguous and needed to be clarified (para. 23);
• Expressed its gratitude to FAO and WHO for carrying out activities related to the provision of scientific advice, in direct support of Codex as well as its member countries and stressed the importance of the output of the FAO/WHO expert bodies and consultations for member countries of the region in conducting their national risk assessments and for taking risk management decisions (para. 29);
• Thanked FAO and WHO for their extensive capacity building activities to assist the countries of the region in improving their national food control systems, however, it called for increased effort to mobilize additional resources to address unmet needs (para. 42);
• Exchanged updated information on Codex Contact Points and National Codex Committees, and thanked FAO and WHO for their efforts to enhance capacity building in food safety and control; (para. 97);
• Decided to consider an information paper on opportunities and guidelines for effective consumer involvement in Codex for discussion at the next session of the Committee (para. 128);
• Nominated the Kingdom of Morocco as Coordinator for Africa for appointment by the 28th Session of the Commission (July 2005) on condition a written assurance be received by FAO from the Government of Morocco, before the end of April 2005, whereby Morocco would undertake to organise the next session of the Committee in Morocco by complying with all the conditions required for hosting a Codex Coordinating Committee session. The Committee also agreed that, if Morocco failed to meet this condition, Ghana would automatically be considered as Coordinator nominee, in place of Morocco, for appointment by the 28th Session of the Commission (paras 129-138);
• Strongly recommended the further elaboration of Draft Strategic Plan for FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa and (para. 146);
• Noted the arguments presented by the Delegation of Morocco for the revision of the provisions of the Labelling Section in the Standard for Canned Sardines and Sardine-type Products (paras 148-151);
• Noted the views expressed by a number of delegations in favour of the development of a new Codex Standard for Parmesan Cheese (paras 152 - 158).