Enhancing Participation of African Nations in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

Overview

The Enhancing Participation of African Nations in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission initiative is an initiative currently being undertaken by AU-IBAR. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), sets international food standards to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

The initiative seeks to empower African nations to actively contribute to the development of international food standards, improve their capacity to implement these standards at the national level, and strengthen partnerships to ensure the safety and quality of food across the continent.

The initiative covers all African Union (AU) member states, ensuring that every nation on the continent has the opportunity to benefit from enhanced participation in Codex activities. This comprehensive approach reflects a commitment to inclusivity and solidarity among African nations in safeguarding public health and promoting fair trade practices in the global food market.

Implementing Partners
USDA

Key Result Areas

Support for Issues of Mutual Interest in Codex Meetings Enhanced: This aspect focuses on strengthening African nations' capacity to participate effectively in Codex meetings, ensuring that their interests and concerns are adequately addressed. This includes providing technical support, facilitating discussions, and advocating for African perspectives on food safety and quality standards.

Capacity Building for Enhanced Codex Work Management and Food Control: Building institutional capacity is crucial for African countries to actively engage in Codex activities and implement Codex standards at the national level. This involves training and empowering relevant institutions and personnel to effectively manage Codex-related processes and enhance food control measures, thereby improving food safety and quality within their territories.

Enhanced Partnerships on Food Safety: Collaboration and partnerships are essential for addressing complex food safety challenges. This aspect aims to foster partnerships between AU-IBAR, Codex stakeholders, and other relevant organizations to strengthen Africa's food safety systems. By leveraging expertise and resources, these partnerships can enhance surveillance, monitoring, and response mechanisms, ultimately improving food safety across the continent.

 

Activities implemented so far

The activities implemented under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Project have been aimed at enhancing food safety and regulatory frameworks across Africa. Some of the milestone achieved are:

Adoption of the Food Safety Strategy for Africa: The project facilitated the adoption of the Food Safety Strategy for Africa, providing a comprehensive framework for improving food safety standards and practices on the continent.

Development of the Africa SPS Index: A key achievement was the development of the Africa SPS Index, a tool for measuring progress in SPS systems. Trainings were conducted for regional and national CAADP Focal Points on how to effectively utilize the index for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Reporting of SPS Interventions: The project produced a report detailing SPS interventions in Africa, highlighting ongoing efforts and areas requiring further attention to strengthen food safety and phytosanitary measures.

Establishment of AU SPS Coordination Forum: An AU SPS Coordination Forum was established to facilitate collaboration and coordination among stakeholders involved in SPS activities across the continent.

Presentation of African Positions at WOAH General Assembly: The project successfully developed and presented five African positions during the 90th General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) General Assembly, advocating for African perspectives on animal health and food safety issues.

Drafting of Inspection Guidelines: Inspection guidelines for trade in animals and animal products in Africa were drafted, providing standardized procedures and protocols to ensure the safety and quality of traded goods.

Drafting of Acaricide Resistant Management Strategy: A strategy for managing acaricide resistance in Africa was drafted, aiming to address emerging challenges in pest control and safeguard agricultural production.