23-26 January 2007

CODEX - Co-ordinating Committee for Africa (17th Session), Rabat, Morocco

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Seventeenth Session of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE 30TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND BY THE 59TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

The Coordinating Committee:

• endorsed the recommendations of the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission regarding the role and activities of Regional Coordinating Committees (para. 6);
• endorsed the draft Strategic Plan 2008-2013 (para. 11);
• unanimously agreed that Ghana be appointed as Regional Coordinator for Africa (para. 61).

MATTERS REFERRED TO CODEX COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES

The Coordinating Committee:

Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP)

• generally agreed that the current terms of reference of the Coordinating Committees should be kept unchanged (para. 21);
• did not express any particular view on the respective roles of the Regional Coordinators and the Members Elected on a Geographical Basis (para. 22).

OTHER MATTERS

The Coordinating Committee:

• thanked the Codex Trust Fund for facilitating the record attendance of delegates to the CCAFRICA (para. 9) and expressed it appreciation to the FAO and WHO and other donor agencies for the work done in the Region and the usefulness of training manuals, guidelines and other recommendations (para. 30);
• endorsed the Strategic Plan for CCAFRICA and agreed: i) to request by means of a Circular Letter, comments on elements for inclusion in a regional plan of action; appropriate indicators for conducting periodic evaluations; mechanisms whereby countries report their achievements to CCAFRICA through the Coordinator; and proposals for a regional project to be funded by FAO/WHO or other donors (para. 44); ii) to establish a Working Group, led by Morocco, in its capacity as Regional Coordinator, followed by the next Regional Coordinator, which would meet in the margins of the 30th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to consider replies to the abovementioned Circular Letter; and would through electronic communication (a) draft a regional plan of action together with a set of indicators for evaluation and a mechanism for monitoring progress and (b) develop a proposal for a regional project that would support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for review by the next session of the Coordinating Committee (para. 44);
• noted the reports on national food control systems and consumer participation in food standards setting and the problems experienced by some countries in the region. It further noted that technical expertise existed in many parts of the region and that challenges relating to technical capacity could be overcome through cooperation of countries within the region (South-South cooperation) (para. 49);
• noted the reports on the use of Codex Standards at national and regional levels and noted the difficulty in adapting Codex standards to local needs due to lack of technical expertise; lack of microbiological specifications in Codex standards; difficulty in obtaining access to certain international markets due to the requirements of trading partners being more stringent than Codex standards (paras 53-57).