On 29 and 30 April 2021, Uzbekistan held the first meeting of the National Commission on Codex Alimentarius, since 2005, when it first joined Codex. The meeting was held in a hybrid, online format, with the participation of representatives of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, the State Veterinary Committee and development of animal husbandry, State Plant Quarantine Inspection and “Uzstandard” Agency.

The meeting agreed that for Uzbekistan to effectively protect the health of consumers from unsafe food and facilitate food imports and exports, the country needs to strengthen its participation in Codex Alimentarius. Active participation in Codex is also important for the resumption of the process of Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO and for implementation of the Development Strategy Framework of the Republic of Uzbekistan by 2035.  The Strategy Framework defines development priorities, which include food safety and strengthened food controls. Food safety is directly related to people’s health and harmonization of national food standards with relevant Codex texts can help to facilitate access to international markets for Uzbek food and agricultural exports.

Representatives of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, international experts in the field of food safety made detailed presentations at the meeting.  A discussion on the current food safety issues in Uzbekistan revealed a need to reform legislation and align food safety measures with Codex standards.

The meeting also discussed the role and functions of the National Codex Commission of Uzbekistan. It was recommended for the National Commission to play an active role in adopting new food safety requirements, providing food safety recommendations to the government of Uzbekistan and taking active part in the work of Codex.

The first meeting of the National Commission on Codex Alimentarius was held with the support of the Asian Development Bank project on strengthening International Food Safety Standards in Agricultural Value Chains in CAREC Member Countries and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. 

CAREC - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program

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FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Europe