A webinar for the Latin American and the Caribbean region “Guide and orientation for new Codex Alimentarius participants“ took place on 14-15 September 2022 and was attended by almost 500 participants.  It was part of the AMR Codex Texts (ACT) project to raise awareness of the use of Codex texts. The next webinar is scheduled for December.

Rommel Betancourt, General Coordinator for Food Safety at The Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador and Regional Coordinator of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the high complexity of food systems and the multiple challenges they present: public health, political conflicts, climate change, scientific and technical advances, consumer demands, pests, and antimicrobial.

Leonardo Veiga, Codex Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on the history of Codex, its objectives, structure and operations, the process for the approval of standards, members of the Codex and the importance of Codex principles.

Amanda Lasso, Codex Advisor, Costa Rica, addressed the Codex Alimentarius and its agreements with other international organizations, procedures for Codex consultations and how to prepare and agree on a country’s position,  good practices for successful international participation, and what to do if you have a proposal for a Codex standard. She stressed the importance of working together in the region. 

The webinars were co-organized by the Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador, as the base of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Learn more

Module 2 “Basic Codex texts“ will be held on 7 December 2022, 10:00 - 12:00 GMT-5, in Spanish and English.

Recordings and presentations from module 1 are available online:

SP: https://www.fao.org/americas/eventos/ver/es/c/1603339/

EN: https://www.fao.org/americas/eventos/ver/en/c/1603338