69. The Conference recognized the need for increased national attention and international, regional and national cooperation to strengthen food safety systems in the countries of the region. The Conference highlighted the value of adopting a food-chain approach to ensuring food safety, within a biosecurity framework, addressing food safety, animal and plant health in an integrated manner. The Conference further emphasized the need to adopt an integrated/coordinated and multisectoral institutional framework for food control systems.
70. In addition to the actions suggested during the debate of each discussion paper and as a result of the deliberations of the Working Groups, the Conference considered that the following actions could be undertaken by the countries of the region amongst themselves, or with the assistance of FAO and WHO if possible:
Conference Side Events
71. Four side events to the Conference were held on issues of interest to the region. FAO and WHO convened parallel events immediately after the final plenary session on Tuesday, 6 December. FAO presented and distributed some of the guidance and technical materials it has recently developed to assist countries to improve various aspects of their food quality and safety systems. WHO held an interactive dialogue with participants to gain feedback on their current food safety concerns and present WHO products and projects available to countries of the region. Two events were also held in parallel on Thursday, 8 December, the report-writing day of the Conference. The FAO Animal Production Service held an event on the safety of feed and food of animal origin and the Food Safety Institute of the Americas held an event to present its programmes and gain feedback from participants. More information on all these side events is available from the Conference website (www.foodsafetyforum.org/americas). The reports of the two side events held on Thursday, 8 December, are appended as Annexes 11 and 12.
72. Two educational field trips were organized by the host country on the morning of Thursday, 8 December. The participants visited either a vegetable or a dairy production and processing facility.
73. The Conference reviewed and adopted the draft report. The report will be a public document and will be posted on the Conference website and published through the usual channels. The report will also be forwarded as an information document to the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 3–8 July 2006) and to other relevant fora.
74. Kraisid Tontisirin, Director of the FAO Food and Nutrition Division, on behalf of FAO and WHO, expressed their appreciation to the Government of Costa Rica for hosting the Conference and for their warm hospitality. He also thanked the organizing committee, participants and secretariat for their hard work that made the Conference a highly valuable event. He noted that the Conference was successful in both its process and its outcomes and reaffirmed the support of FAO to work with the countries of the region towards achieving safe and nutritious food through a multisectoral and integrated food chain approach.
75. The Conference was closed by the Minister of Economy, Industry and Commerce of Costa Rica, who reaffirmed the country's commitment to assuring food quality and safety. He re-iterated his thanks to FAO and WHO for giving Costa Rica the opportunity to host the Conference and to all the participants for their contributions.
