The ‘Coordinating Committee for Africa’ was established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1972 with a mandate to “exercise general coordination in the preparation of standards relating to the region of Africa”. The committee held its first meeting at FAO in 1974, with 19 countries in attendance.
As the new regional coordinator begins their term, the Agreement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into effect in May 2020, has reinforced the need for an efficient and effective system for managing sanitary and phytosanitary measures, in particular food safety, across the continent as its borders open for trade.
As the new CCAFRICA Coordinator, The Gambia commits to serve as a strong pillar in codex work for the African region and will provide strong leadership and positive influence for a better, stronger, and united Africa in food safety and trade facilitation while leaving no one behind.
Our priority focus would be on effective participation in Codex work, capacity development, advocacy, resource mobilsation and harmonization of standards, guidelines, and regulations. The completed CCAFRICA implementation plan of the Codex Strategic Plan 2026 – 2031, will be the basis for consolidating and galvanizing the CCAFRICA region to achieve the goals of the Codex five-year plan.
Effective and sustained communication and consultation with members, stakeholders, partners and the Codex secretariat will be the basic tool for our success. We will leverage on existing tools and platforms while at the same time embracing new technologies in closing the digital divide. Together, we will make the food in the region safer, more nutritious, and highly tradable.
By Hakim B. Mufumbiro, Codex Office, UGANDA
On the margins of the recently concluded 48th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48), a high-level advocacy event for African Missions in Rome was held on 13 November 2025 at FAO Headquarters. This was the first time that diplomatic representatives from the African region were were convened to build collective support for food safety and Codex activities across the continent. The event saw attendance from Ambassadors, Agricultural Attachés, and delegates from the region who were already [...]
by Rosine Niyonshuti, CCP Rwanda
From 10 to 13 November 2025, the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), in the capacities of Rwanda’s Codex Contact Point, held a training workshop for members of the National Codex Committee (NCC) with support from TradeMark Africa. The NCC, which represents Rwanda’s participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, includes members from academia, food industries, regulatory bodies, consumer associations, and the National Standards Bureau.
The training aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s procedures, the process [...]
An event titled “Bridging the gap between the parliamentary community and Codex” was held in the margins of the 48th Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting Tuesday and brought together key Codex and FAO actors, and representatives from African parliamentary networks.
The event was held in a collaboration between Codex and the FAO partnerships and UN collaboration division and aimed to bring to the attention of parliamentarians the crucial role that effective participation in Codex can play in the health of consumers and [...]
Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate the World Food Safety Day on the 18 June 2025, with a symposium. The celebration was spearheaded by the National Codex Committee to create awareness on the role science plays in ensuring food safety through standards. The celebration brought together participants from various government institutions, academia, and research institutions, including the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Fisheries Commission, Ghana Standards Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, University of Ghana, Council for [...]
Nairobi, Kenya, 3 October 2025 – Delegates from across Africa gathered in Nairobi for an intensive three-day workshop to sharpen their skills in participating in all aspects of Codex work. Organized under the European Union’s Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) initiative, the training equipped participants with practical tools to strengthen their voices in international food safety debates.
From day one, participants explored Codex history, governance and procedures and engaged with the tutors asking multiple of questions. Sessions spotlighted key committees [...]
In an effort to create awareness among the high-level decision and policy makers in the country, the Republic of South Sudan organized a National Workshop on Advocacy and dissemination of food safety policy briefs on 23 September 2025. On 24 September, a National stakeholders Consultation Workshop on Codex priority Standards and establishment of National Codex Mirror committees was also convened. Both workshps were convened in Juba, Republic of South Sudan, with support from the Codex Trust Fund.
The workshops were officially [...]
A new country story has been published showcasing the benefits of the Codex Trust Fund (CTF). In it, the former Codex Contact Point for Burkina Faso, Sansan Cyrille Régis Kambire, tells how, having succeeded in his application to the CTF, he executed the project to the benefit of his country: “I feel the country has now started to catch up with others when it comes to Codex,” he says.
“Catching up with others” involved learning from fellow African states that have [...]
By Hakim B. Mufumbiro, CCAFRICA Coordinator, Uganda
As part of the transition of the CCAFRICA coordination role from Uganda to the Gambia, a benchmarking and mentorship session for The Gambia Codex Secretariat to understudy the Codex structures and functioning in Uganda was held in Kampala 2–5 September 2025 at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards Headquarters (Codex Contact Point for Uganda). The delegation from The Gambia was led by Mr Mamodou Bah, Director-General of Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia as [...]
By Lusubilo Mwamakamba (WHO AFRO), Hakim Mufumbiro (CCAFRICA), Sansan Kambire (FAO RAF)
On 10 September 2025, the regional offices for Africa of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO RAF), the World Health Organization (WHO AFRO), the African Union–InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the FAO/WHO Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA), and the Codex Trust Fund (CTF) Secretariat jointly hosted a continent-wide webinar. The event aimed at sharing best practices and lessons learned in strengthening national Codex [...]
The National Workshop on Advocacy and Dissemination of Food Safety Policy Briefs to high level policy and decision makers was held on 14 August 2025 in Dodoma, Tanzania, with support from the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund group project.
The workshop was opened by Ashura Katunzi, Director General of the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), and officially inaugurated by Suleiman Serere, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The event brought together permanent secretaries and directors of policy and planning (DPPs) [...]
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