The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), which doubles as the coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) has mentored Tanzania on Codex work and food safety standards which will reduce the tension and trade barriers within the region.
The mentorship followed a four-day twinning and mentorship programme on codex activities between Uganda and Tanzania that took place at UNBS head offices in Kampala.
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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, Hakim Mufumbiro shared the wide experience in managing and engaging in codex matters with the officials from Tanzania Codex Office.
Some of the key issues discussed during the mentorship session include; use and application of key provisions in the codex procedural manual, CCAFRICA coordination roles and responsibilities and regional capacity building activities and collaboration with World Health Ogrnaisation, African Union, FAO among other partners.
The officials from Tanzania led by Lawrence Chenge were grateful for the mentorship received and pledged to implement the lessons back home in order to better their leadership capabilities and management of codex activities.
Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the UNBS deputy executive director in charge of standards said 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 the tension and trade barriers within the region, allowing us to trade within ourselves as the East African Community and the rest of Africa," she said.
In 2020, Uganda was appointed coordinator for the Food and Agricultural Organisation / World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) coordinating committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) for the period 2020 to 2022.
