Date
Tue, 08-09-2015 15:00:00

Workshop for the Restructuration of the National Codex Committee of Senegal

Date
Tue, 08-09-2015 15:00:00
Image removed.
© 2015 AU-IBAR. Participants at the workshop

At the request of the President of the National Codex Committee of Senegal, the workshop was planned and funded by the U.S. Codex Office with the technical support from AU-IBAR for four days. The workshop focused on the mandate, structure and function of CAC, the roles and functions of the Codex Contact Point (CCP) and The National Codex Committee.

The specific objectives of the workshop were:

  1. To increase the understanding of the structures and procedures of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
  2. To describe the issues to consider when establishing a national Codex framework to facilitate active involvement in Codex;
  3. To discuss the use of Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations in national food safety programmes;
  4. To provide a platform to discuss challenges and future capacity building needs on Codex-related activities.

The expected outcomes of the workshop were:

  1. Common understanding of the structure and procedures of the CAC, how its work should be coordinated at the national level and how Senegal can participate and influence its work;
  2. Draft action plans for strengthening the National Codex Committee activities;
  3. Identify areas of technical assistance and capacity building.

Workshop Proceedings

The training workshop addressed the mandate, structure and functioning of the CAC, its subsidiary bodies, current issues discussed at the Codex committees, roadmap to improve the national Codex structures and their functions, sustaining participation in priority committees using national resources, participating in Codex using forms of participation other than physical participation and forming linkages between Codex and other food safety activities at national and regional levels. It also provided a platform to discuss the role of CCAfrica and its Strategic Plan.

In addition, it included practical exercises and working group sessions on defining national priorities for Codex, development of national positions, preparation of national action plans to strengthen Codex in countries and planning of activities and budget for the year 2016.