| Agenda Item | Subject matter | Document Reference |
| 1. | Opening of the conference | |
| 2. | Election of officers | |
| 3. | Adoption of the Provisional Agenda and Timetable | AC 05/1 |
| 4. | National food safety systems in the Americas and the Caribbean - a situation analysis | AC 05/2 |
| 5. | Improving the effectiveness of national food control systems in the Americas and the Caribbean | AC 05/3 |
| 6. | Assuring food safety at the production/processing level | AC 05/4 |
| 7. | International and regional cooperation in food safety | AC 05/5 |
| 8. | Technical issues of regional concern | AC 05/6 |
| 9. | The consumer: active participation in food safety communication | AC 05/7 |
| 10. | Working group discussions | |
| 11. | Other matters | |
| 12. | Adoption of the draft report | CRD Z |
NOTES ON THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA
Item 1 - Opening of the conference: The FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for the Americas and the Caribbean will be opened by a high-ranking official from the region.
Item 2 - Election of officers: Delegates will designate a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson to lead the plenary meeting of the conference.
Item 3 - Adoption of the Agenda and Provisional Timetable: In order to keep the conference focused, any proposals for additional topics must be relevant to the agenda and integrated and discussed with existing items.
Item 4 - National food safety systems in the Americas and the Caribbean - a situation analysis: The preparation of the paper will be led by the FAO/WHO regional and subregional food safety officers, including information and inputs from the countries of the region. It will address the economic, health, and social impacts of food safety systems of the region and other relevant issues.
Item 5 - Improving the effectiveness of national food control systems in the Americas and the Caribbean: This paper, prepared by the government of Belize, will analyze the strengths of the region and effective methods to utilize these strengths to overcome the challenges of improving food safety. The paper will address strengthening of the various components of food control systems, the costs and benefits of modernizing food control systems, prioritization of resources, and other relevant issues.
Item 6 - Assuring food safety at the production/processing level: This paper will address the application of appropriate quality assurance schemes, controlling the safety of foods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, the safety of street foods, and other relevant issues. The paper will be prepared by the government of Costa Rica.
Item 7 - International and regional cooperation in food safety: This paper, prepared by the FAO/WHO regional and subregional food safety officers, will address the challenges in sustainability of regional and subregional networks; the role of public/private partnerships; the need for collaboration, coordination, and communication between and among all partners involved in food safety; and other relevant issues.
Item 8 - Technical issues of regional concern: These papers will include issues such as the application of traceability measures, foods derived from modern biotechnology, and risk analysis and other relevant issues. The governments of Argentina and Canada will prepare papers in this regard.
Item 9 - The consumer: Active participation in food safety communication: The preparation of the paper will be led by a consumers group of the region and address the important role of consumers in food safety communication and other relevant issues.
Item 10 - Working group discussions: Participants will divide into two working groups to further discuss various aspects of an action plan to improve food safety in the region.
Item 11 - Other matters: Any other matters will be discussed at this time.
Item 12 - Adoption of draft report: The Chairperson of the conference will present the draft report of the discussions as drafted by the Secretariat. The draft report should fully reflect the different points of view and approaches expressed during the conference.
