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The CCNASWP Region - Regional Coordinator Fiji

The 18th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, held in 1989, agreed to establish a new Coordinating Committee for North America and the South West Pacific, bringing together, in the words of the New Zealand delegation "far flung countries ... which have many common interests".

CCNASWP is a remarkably diverse region combining fully mature economies such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand with 10 small island states. The largest of these is Papua New Guinea (population over 7 million) and the smallest, the Cook Islands and Nauru with populations of around 10 000.

The regional coordinator is based within the Fijian Ministry of Agriculture.

Fiji looks forward to applying standards at the national level and supporting all countries in the region, especially the small island developing states, to establish a sound policy framework for food safety. These initiatives will support improvements in public health, ensure that imported food is safe and of the expected quality and develop increased access to international markets.

The regional coordinator will continue supporting work on regional standards and seeks to strengthen participation of the region in Codex in general. This can be achieved by continuing to develop capacity at the national level by enhancing the role of national coordinators and contact points for increased and effective participation in Codex

 


News from the region

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CNR) celebrates Codex at 60 with style

Staff of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) joined the global celebrations for the 60th Anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), dressing up accordingly for the occasion. CRN, a stalwart supporter and regular attendee of CAC as well as of other Codex committees, raised a glass of orange juice – a perfect match with the outfits – in recognition of Codex work over the past six decades. wishing for many more years providing food standards, guidelines and codes of [...]
20 September 2023

Ngā mihi nui: Celebrating New Zealand at Codex – Past, Present and Future

In mid-June 2023, just weeks after marking World Food Safety Day, New Zealand celebrated 60 years of success in Codex at The Beehive, New Zealand Parliament. The anniversary festivities were attended by the Minister for Food Safety, Hon Rachel Brooking and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Damien O’Connor.  Representatives from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) also attended, including Director-General Ray Smith, Deputy Director-General (DDG) Policy and Trade Julie Collins, acting DDG New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) Jenny Bishop, and other [...]
05 July 2023

Childhood diet and behavioural change the focus of World Food Safety Day events in Fiji

World Food Safety Day was celebrated in a high-level event in Suva, Fiji on 7 June. Officials from the government and international organizations gave speeches in the morning, which were followed by two competitions. The Chief Health Inspector of Fiji, Vimal Deo, opened proceedings, offering welcome remarks and an introduction to the day’s events. He then handed over to two chief guests, the Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Vatimi Rayalu, and the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr Ratu Atonio [...]
30 June 2023

American World Food Safety Day webinar to look at the economic and health implications of food safety

Agrilinks, an “online hub where agriculture, food security and development professionals connect” will celebrate World Food Safety Day in a webinar entitled Tiny Microbes with Big Business Impact: The Economic and Health Implications of Food Safety. According to the event organizers, globally, conflict and climate change threaten advances made to reduce hunger and support economic development. Without safe food, we are not able to properly address food security issues. Through biological and chemical contamination, tiny microbes can have big impacts on [...]
28 June 2023

Upcoming United States of America Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan Webinar: Strategies, Standards, and Regulations to Increase Access to Safe and Nutritious Foods

The fifth annual World Food Safety Day on 7 June will focus on the ways “Food Standards Save Lives”— governments and the food industry use food safety strategies, standards, and regulations to guide food safety legislation and ensure best practices. Raising awareness of and promoting the adoption and enforcement of food safety standards requires government agencies to collaborate closely. Join this upcoming webinar, hosted on behalf of the United States of America Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan Food Safety Subgroup, on [...]
07 June 2023

Food standards under the spotlight in Australian World Food Safety Day webinar

The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) will hold a World Food Safety Day webinar to discuss the importance of food regulation. AIFST CEO Fiona Fleming will host a panel of food scientists including: Todd Redwood, British Standards Institution group (BSI) Robin Sherlock – Safe Food Queensland Nick Fletcher – Food Standards Australia Andrew Mathieson –  Australian National University (ANU) Jasmine Lacis-Lee – Bureau Veritas AsureQuality (BVAQ) Duncan Craig – Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Each panellist will be asked to give a 2-minute introduction [...]
07 June 2023

CCFICS / Key role in transition to sustainable agriculture says Minister

Murray Watt, Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, speaking via video message, welcomed delegates gathering in Hobart, Tasmania, and online, for the opening of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) taking place from 1-5 May 2023. Watt said that achieving sustainable productivity growth in agriculture was increasingly critical to meet global food security concerns arising from the world's growing population. It was also vital to deliver on international [...]
01 May 2023

CCFICS / Workshop underlines Codex role in prevention and control of food fraud

By Scott Mersch Codex Contact Point, Australia On 8 February 2023, the Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), Nicola Hinder, Australia, and Michelle Catlin, United States of America, the Chairperson of the Electronic Working Group (EWG), along with EWG Co-Chairpersons, delivered a virtual workshop to discuss progress to date on drafting the guidance on the Prevention and Control of Food Fraud. The draft guidance will be considered at Step 4 by CCFICS26 [...]
10 February 2023

CCNASWP16 / Steve Hathaway describes lessons learned for Codex from the COVID-19 pandemic

At the 16th session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and the South West Pacific held from 30 January to 3 February 2023 in Nadi, Fiji,  Steve Hathaway, New Zealand, gave the keynote address on lessons learned from the COVID pandemic, which he said had “irrevocably changed international thinking on food control … [and] dramatically illustrated the importance of effective and science driven risk management by all sectors throughout the food chain.” Hathaway went on to outline how the [...]
05 February 2023

CCNASWP / Fiji calls for closer collaboration as FAO/WHO regional meeting gets underway in Nadi

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica (pictured centre), speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Fiji, opened the 16th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and the South-West Pacific (CCNASWP), taking place from 30 January to 3 February 2023 in Nadi, Fiji. “Today’s rapid changes in trade, travel and commerce call for an international standard-setting system that is able to respond more quickly to new [...]
31 January 2023
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Video Message



CCNASWP Coordinator

All information on Codex is public and free.

For regional enquiries contact:

CCNASWP Secretariat

Ministry of Agriculture
Private Mail Bag
Hugh Robinson Complex
Raiwaqa, Suva.

Email: [email protected]
Web: www.agriculture.gov.fj