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.
A regional webinar commemorating World Food Safety Day 2026 is jointly organized by FAO, WHO, the World Food Programme (WFP), the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA).
The webinar, themed “Building Africa’s Food Safety Future: From Evidence to Action,” is scheduled to take place virtually on 11 June 2026 and aims to promote awareness and dialogue on the burden of foodborne diseases and practical actions to strengthen food safety systems across Africa.
Date: 11 [...]
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), through its Occupational Safety and Health Unit, promotes food safety awareness among military contingents (blue helmets) and civilian personnel in celebration of World Food Safety Day 2026. The initiative focuses on disseminating the WHO and FAO “5 Keys to Safer Food” and strengthening a culture of food safety within the Mission.
To support outreach and engagement, MONUSCO developed educational materials, including an AI-based video in English with [...]
by the Codex Contact point of Uganda
Twelve CCAFRICA Member Countries, including Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania, participated in the 56th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA56) in Chongqing, China. This marked a clear shift in Africa’s engagement from participation to strategic influence, actively contributing to aligning CCAFRICA’s efforts with Goal 2 of the Codex Strategic Plan (2026–2031), which focuses on enhancing Codex [...]
With the support of the European Union-funded Market Access Upgrade Programme Phase II (MARKUP II), which is implemented through the International Trade Centre (ITC), the East African Community (EAC) partner states under the technical committee (TC) on food additives has met in Juba, South Sudan, to develop regional standards for gum arabic. Uganda, as the host of the TC secretariat, guides the process of food additives standards development.
The meeting was hosted 23-27 February 2026 by South Sudan to commence the [...]
by the Codex Contact Point of Uganda and the Coordinator for CCAFRICA
The Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) held its 29th Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bringing together member countries and observers to deliberate on key standards and issues like industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs), deliberations on microbial Omega-3 oils, discussion on the list of acceptable cargoes, matters related to the olive oils, alongside the assessment of four new work proposals in the fats and oils sector. The [...]
The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) celebrated a significant milestone on 26 January 2026, with the official handover ceremony of the CCAFRICA Coordinator from Uganda to The Gambia. The historic event took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul, The Gambia.
The ceremony was attended by high-level government officials, international partners, and members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission from across Africa, including the Codex Chairperson. The occasion was graced by the Vice-President of the Republic [...]
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 [...]
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