By Sylvia Kirabo, Head of Public Relations and Marketing at UNBS and Hakim Mufumbiro, Regional Coordinator CCAFRICA

Uganda, which doubles as the current CCAFRICA Coordinator, has concluded a four-day Twinning and Mentorship programme on Codex Activities between Uganda and Tanzania that was held at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Headquarters in Kampala from 19 to 22 September 2022.

The objective of the twinning arrangement is to strengthen Member States capacity and efficiency in engaging and management of Codex activities especially with regard to chairing of electronic working groups as well as hosting and co-hosting of Codex sessions on food safety standards.

During the session, the Coordinator for Codex Activities in Africa who is also the Head of the Food and Agriculture Standards at UNBS, Mr. Hakim Mufumbiro shared their wide experience in managing and engaging in Codex matters with the officials from Tanzania Codex Office.

Key issues discussed and shared during the mentorship session include:

• Use and application of key provisions in the Codex Procedural Manual
• CCAFRICA coordination roles and responsibilities
• Regional capacity building activities and collaboration with FAO, WHO, AU, RECs and other Partners
• Communication strategy and effective engagement of members in the region
• CCAFRICA work plan to support implementation of the Codex Strategic Plan (2020-2025)
• Generation of regional common positions and effective preparation and participation in the Executive Committee and the Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Hosting and co-hosting of various Codex sessions such as the CCAFRICA.

The three officials from Tanzania led by Mr. Lawrence Chenge (Codex Contact Point) were grateful for the mentorship received and pledged to implement the lessons back home in order to better their leadership capabilities and their management of Codex activities.

“The training will guide Tanzania on how to deal with food safety standards at the national and regional level. It will help us harmonise as the East African region which will reduce tension and trade barriers within the region, allowing us to trade within the East African Community and the rest of Africa,” said Mrs. Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the UNBS Deputy Executive Director in charge of standards, as she officially closed the four-day training.

The Codex twinning and mentorship programme is supported through the Codex Trust Fund Group Project being implemented by five participating countries (Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda). The project aims to build strong, solid and sustainable national capacity to engage in Codex work.

Learn more

Codex Trust Fund website