By Funwako Dlamini, CCP for Eswatini, Milagrosa Mondlane, SWASA, Hakim Mufumbiro, Regional Coordinator CCAFRICA and John Oppong-Otoo, AU-IBAR

A training session has taken place 3–5 April 2024 in Ezulwini, Eswatini, to equip national stakeholders with improved capacities as part of the country’s efforts to establish and strengthen engagement in Codex.

The training was attended by 25 trainees drawn from different state and non-state actors who are part of the National Codex Committee (NCC) and who have responsibility for food safety along the food chain. Eswatini has been a Member of Codex since 1972, however the country has not been actively participating in Codex work. This training brought together stakeholders to reflect on the past, take stock of the present and strategize for effective participation in Codex work in the short, medium and long term.

The broad objective of the training was to enhance the National Codex Committee's capacity to strengthen their engagement within Codex and initiate discussions on application for the Codex Trust Fund Round 9. The training focused heavily on an introduction to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, including its relevance to Eswatini. Attendees also learnt about Codex standards development procedures and processes, approaches for effective stakeholder engagement at national level, the functions and responsibilities of national Codex committees, different Codex deliverables (standards, codes of practice, guidelines) and the role of science and risk analysis in Codex. The training also offered hands-on practical exercises on the use and application of the Codex website and online tools such as the Electronic Working Group Platform and Online Commenting System, elements of the Codex Trust Fund Diagnostic Tool and how to generate and draft Codex positions.

Taking advantage of the training, a high-level event for policy and decision makers as well as UN Agencies was held to further raise the profile of food safety at the national level and serve as a platform to advocate for the necessary investments in order to improve the food control system for the country. The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Khanyakweze Mabuza emphasized the importance of allocating funds specifically for Codex work, working towards addressing the challenges of food safety and promoting a resilient and sustainable food system. He also highlighted the need to foster cooperation amongst relevant food sector institutions in order to increase efficiency and ensure a safe and prosperous Eswatini. It was recognized that while Eswatini has made significant progress, there are still areas that need improvement such as the development of a national food safety policy and strengthening of applicable legislation.

Mr Chiluba Mwape, the Senior Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Advisor at the African Union Commission emphasized the timely convening of the session as it supports the efforts of enhancing strong Codex and food safety functioning in the country and ultimately contributing to the wider continental goals as elaborated in the Africa Food Safety Strategy and Sanitary and Phytosanitary policy framework for Africa. Additionally, Mr Funwako Dlamini, the Chief Environmental Health Officer and Codex Contact Point for Eswatini, underscored the need for the recently appointed members to partake of the efforts of full reactivation of the National Codex Committee. The session was also addressed by Mr Hakim Mufumbiro, regional coordinator for the Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA), whose message focused on rallying the trainees to take the full benefits of the training in order to build strong, resilient and sustainable national Codex systems.

Mr John Oppong-Otoo, the Food Safety Officer at the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) emphasized the importance of standards as the main currency for trade while recognizing that food safety is both a technical and economic issue. He further noted that health is core to meeting the aspirations of the Africa Agenda 2063. He called on the relevant authorities in Eswatini to empower food business operators to handle food in the recommended manner. He expressed AU-IBAR’s commitment to offering capacity building support to members in the region to enhance their food safety and Codex systems.

At the national level, Mr Phillip Mudawe, the Technical Manager at the Eswatini Standards Authority highlighted the increasing adoption of Codex standards. He further noted the continuing limited implementation and enforcement of the adopted standards and recommended that one of the best mechanisms to deploy would be to reference standards in regulations.

As part of the outcomes from the session, the stakeholders agreed on the critical need for Eswatini to adopt a national food safety policy, allocate a dedicated budget for Codex work and enhance investment in the informal food sector for improved food safety management. He also highlighted the need to encourage collaboration among authorities for greater efficiency and reduced business costs due to regulatory duplication. The capacity building event for Eswatini NCC was funded by AU-IBAR and the Codex Office of the United States of America.

The participants at the national training agreed to the following recommendations and actions:

• Further review the composition of the NCC to include representation from private sector and industry
• All members of the NCC to undertake and complete the Codex eLearning Course by October 2024
• Prioritize Codex electronic working groups of interest to Eswatini in order to engage stakeholders to join and participate
• Advance the preparations for the development of a proposal for submission to Codex Trust fund for potential funding in Round 9 (September – December 2024) as per agreed roadmap
• Continue to engage FAO, WHO, WFP and other partners to further support capacity building and infrastructure needs for Eswatini in order to build strong and solid food safety and Codex systems
• Devise training programmes for food business operators to enhance handling of food as per Codex guidelines and codes of practice
• Intensify advocacy within government to secure necessary resources to support food safety and Codex work and activities at national, regional and international level
• Undertake further stakeholder engagement and analysis to identify the key national food safety priorities
• Enhance the effective implementation of adopted national standards in order to meet the overall national food safety objectives
• 11 Codex committees prioritized as part of the feedback from the stakeholders including: Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA), Codex Committee on Contaminant s in Food (CCCF), Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food (CCRVDF), Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR), Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL), Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS), Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP), CCAFRICA and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

 Photo © Senteni Mamba