UGANDA – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) has reappointed Uganda, through the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), as its Coordinator for the year 2022 to 2024.
This comes after the (2020–2022) term, which was successfully completed and included hosting the 24th CCAFRICA meeting in Kampala in September 2022.
The selection was decided by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the highest-ranking CODEX institution, at its 45th conference in Rome, Italy.
More than 40 Member States from Africa attended the workshop, highlighting the significance of Codex and food safety in the region.
H.E. Amb. Elizabeth Paula Napeyok, Head of Mission, Ugandan Embassy in Italy, as well as representatives from the Capital who attended virtually, were among the Ugandan delegates present at the meeting.
Following the initial appointment 20 years ago, from 1999 to 2003, and the expiry of the 2020-2022 tenure, Uganda has been given the responsibility of coordinating CODEX activities in Africa once more.
Building on the momentum created over the years and attempting to increase awareness of Codex and Food Safety on the African Continent will be the main priorities for Uganda during the next administration.
According to the CCAFRICA Chairman who also doubles as the Head of the Food and Agricultural Standards division at UNBS, Mr. Hakim Mufumbiro, great attention will be given to generating regional priorities through a consultative process, taking into consideration the coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) which is a turning point for the African Continent.
He pointed out that food standards elaborated through the Codex system will be key enablers in facilitating trade in food and agriculture commodities and products across the continent and ensuring that the health of the over 1.3 billion inhabitants is protected.
“Uganda will also seek to leverage the adopted Regional guidelines for developing harmonized food safety legislation for the CCAFRICA region in order to influence the review of the relevant national laws and regulations in order to enhance the establishment of a robust modern Food Control System in the country,” said Mr. Mufumbiro.
The appointment of Uganda will increase public awareness of food safety issues through Codex, such as improving the quality and safety of locally traded food commodities and strengthening the country’s food control system.
It will also raise the profile of Codex and food safety issues in Uganda, increase public awareness of the standards for food products developed by Codex, and position Uganda to have better access to regional and international markets for its food commodity exports.
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