Enquiry concerning the FAO/WHO Project and Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex ( Codex Trust Fund )

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1 Enquiry concerning the FAO/WHO Project and Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex ( Codex Trust Fund ) By Stuart A. Slorach Funded by Sida. Contact person: Margareta Davidson-Abdelli Final version 12 October 2007

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3 Contents Contents...iii Abbreviations...v Acknowledgements...vi SUMMARY...vii. 1. INTRODUCTION Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Codex Trust Fund (CTF) The present enquiry BACKGROUND Objectives of the Codex Trust Fund Support provided by the Codex Trust Fund Codex Trust Fund management Codex Trust Fund Secretariat and database Procedure for providing support from the Codex Trust Fund and follow-up Earlier evaluations of the Codex Trust Fund SOURCES OF INFORMATION Visits to Rome and Geneva Information from donors Information from other sources FINDINGS How has the money donated to the Codex Trust Fund been used? Contributions received to date Use of the money donated to the Codex Trust Fund Meetings attended with support from the Codex Trust Fund Gender distribution of support Financial outlook for Fund raising strategy Which countries have been supported by the Codex Trust Fund? Eligible countries Countries supported Support by Codex region Support to countries on the Swedish government s priority list Is there a connection between the Codex meetings attended by the countries supported by the CTF and their food trade interests? Has the CTF led to better support for Codex activities at the national level? What results have been achieved by the CTF? Expected immediate outputs Output 1 Widening participation in Codex Output 2 Strengthening overall participation in Codex Output 3 Enhancing scientific/technical participation in Codex Enhanced international food trade opportunities Capacity building Has the money (and other resources) donated to the CTF been used effectively?...21 iii

4 4.7 Is reporting from the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat to the donors and contacts between donors and the Secretariat satisfactory? Reports and other information from the Secretariat to donors Comments from donors Have African countries developed national Codex policies in order to obtain greater benefit from participation in Codex meetings? How can the effectiveness of participation in Codex meetings by African countries be improved, for example by greater regional coordination? How can Sida build on the activities supported by the CTF to promote food safety in Africa, including the development of national food safety policies? What the Codex Trust Fund can do FAO and WHO capacity building Project to implement the Five-Year Strategic Plan for Food Safety in Africa Sida International Training Programme on Regulatory & Quality Infrastructure Development for Food Safety and Quality What more can Sida do? How can Sida build on the activities supported by the Codex Trust Fund to improve the opportunities of African countries in the food trade area? CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions Recommendations...35 REFERENCES 39 APPENDICES Appendix 1. Grouping of Countries Eligible for Support Appendix 2. Participants in the FAO/WHO Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund (CGTF)...46 Appendix 3. Codex Trust Fund Contributions Received Appendix 4. Countries supported by the Codex Trust Fund TABLES Table 1. Codex Committees and Task Forces 2 Table 2. Contributions to the Codex Trust Fund.10 Table 3. Participants supported by the Codex Trust Fund Table 4. Numbers of Codex Trust Fund-supported countries attending different Codex meetings and training courses 12 Table 5. Gender distribution of delegates supported by the Codex Trust Fund Table 6. Delegates supported by the Codex Trust Fund shown by Codex Region...15 Table 7. Support to countries on the Swedish government s new priority list..16 iv

5 Abbreviations AGNS ARSO AU CAC CCAFRICA CCCF CCNEA CGTF CTF DFID DSA EU FAO FOS IBAR IPPC JECFA JEMRA JMPR LDCs OIE SADC Sida SPS Agreement STDF TBT Agreement UNCTAD UDEAC UNDP UNIDO USA WAMU WHO WTO Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, FAO African Regional Organisation for Standardisation African Union Codex Alimentarius Commission FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East FAO/WHO Consultative Group for the Trust Fund Codex Trust Fund (FAO/WHO Project and Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex) Department for International Development of the United Kingdom Daily subsistence allowance European Union Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, WHO, Geneva Inter-African Bureau of Animal Resources International Plant Protection Convention Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues Least Developed Countries International Office of Epizootics, World Organisation for Animal Health Southern Africa Development Community Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Standards and Trade Development Facility Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Union douanière et économique de l Afrique centrale United Nations Development Programme United Nations Industrial Development Organization United States of America West African Monetary Union World Health Organization World Trade Organization v

6 Acknowledgements I wish to thank all those who have provided me with the information needed to carry out this enquiry. In particular, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff of the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat, Mrs Catherine Mulholland and Mrs Noha Lefevre, for all their help in rapidly responding to my questions. I am also grateful to the representatives of the seven donor countries who provided me with information and comments at short notice. For information about developments in Africa, I am indebted to Dr Claude Mosha, the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Dr Ousmane Toure, Director-General of the Mali National Food Safety Agency, Mrs Genevieve Baah, from the Codex Coordinator for Africa in Ghana, Dr Ezzeddine Boutrif from FAO, Dr Jörgen Schlundt and Dr P. Ben Embarek from WHO and Ms Anna Önell from the Swedish National Food Administration. Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima, the Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, also provided me with useful information and comments and Mrs Gretchen Stanton and Mr Melvin Spreij from WTO kindly gave me information about the Standards and Trade Development Facility and WTO. vi

7 SUMMARY Background The FAO/WHO Project and Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex ( the Fund ) was launched in 2003 to support broader and more effective participation by developing countries (especially the least developed countries) and countries with economies in transition in the development of global food safety and quality standards by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). Sweden, via the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has been the largest single contributor to the Fund so far, having donated 11 million Swedish crowns, more than 30% of the total sum donated. Before making a decision on further contributions to the Fund, Sida commissioned the present enquiry, which addresses the following questions related to the Fund, with particular emphasis on African countries: 1. How has the money donated to the Project been used? 2. Which countries have been supported by the Project? 3. Is there a connection between the Codex meetings attended by the countries supported by the Project and their food trade interests? 4. Has the Project led to better support for Codex activities at the national level? 5. What results have been achieved by the Project? 6. Has the money (and other resources) donated to the Project been used effectively? 7. Is reporting from the Project secretariat to the donors and contacts between donors and the secretariat satisfactory? 8. Have African countries developed national Codex policies in order to obtain greater benefit from participation in Codex meetings? 9. How can the effectiveness of participation in Codex meetings by African countries be improved, for example by greater regional co-ordination? 10. How can Sida build on the activities supported by the Project to promote food safety in Africa, including the development of national food safety policies? 11. How can Sida build on the activities supported by the Project to improve the opportunities of African counties in the food trade area? The background section of the report describes the objectives of the Fund and how it is managed and provides support to beneficiaries. The main focus of the Codex Trust Fund is to support participation by Low Income and Low Middle Income Countries, although Upper Middle Income Countries are eligible for some support. The three immediate outputs of the Fund are expected to be a) Widening participation in Codex, b) Strengthening overall participation in Codex and c) Enhancing scientific/technical participation in Codex. Information for the report was collected during brief visits to FAO in Rome and to the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat at WHO in Geneva. Information and comments were also collected from seven donor countries, the Chairperson of the CAC and the Codex Coordinator for Africa. Main findings The main findings of the enquiry can be summarised as follows: 1. The Fund has been used mainly to pay travel costs and daily subsistence allowances to enable participants from developing countries and countries with economies in vii

8 transition to attend Codex meetings. From 2004, when the Fund became operational, to the end of 2006, a total of $US 2,577,393, i.e. 80% of the total expenditure of $US 3,203,210, was used for this purpose. During the same period, a small amount ($US 244,908, i.e. 8%) was used to support Codex training activities. The cost of administering the Fund has been approximately 12% of the total expenditure, i.e. below the maximum of 13% stipulated in Sida s contract with WHO. 2. In most cases the delegate supported by the Fund was the sole representative of the country at a Codex meeting, although sometimes additional representatives from the local embassy were also present. However, in a few cases the Fund-supported delegate was only one member of a large delegation from the country. Although such support fulfils the criteria presently used for giving support, it is questionable whether this is in line with the overall objective of the Fund, i.e. to support participation of developing countries which would otherwise be unable to attend Codex meetings. 3. Of 664 delegates supported by the Fund during the period September 2007, 421 (63%) were men and 243 (36%) women. The gender distribution varies widely from region to region, with a majority of women delegates from the Latin America and the Caribbean Region and a strong male dominance among delegates from the Near East and Africa Regions. It is the countries themselves that decide who shall represent them at Codex meetings, and not the Secretariat or the Fund management. 4. Contributions expected from the EC, Germany, Japan and Norway during the rest of 2007, but not yet delivered, are estimated to total approximately $US 446,000. It is also expected that financial contributions will be received from France, Italy, Brazil, Malaysia and New Zealand, but the amounts have not yet been declared. Contributions from Malaysia and Brazil would represent an important new development, since this would be the first year where developing countries contribute to the Fund. However, since the Fund needs in the order of $US 1.8 million per annum to maintain the current level of activities and little money is expected to be carried over from 2007, the financial outlook for 2008 appears at present to be very bleak, not to say alarming. 5. During the period September 2007, the Fund supported the participation of a total of 664 delegates to Codex meetings: of these 38% were from the African region, 27% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 9% from the South West Pacific, 6% from the Near East and 5% from Europe. 6. Most countries have given highest priority to attending meetings of the CAC, where the standards developed by Codex Committees and Task Forces are finally adopted and where decisions about the future direction of Codex work and other policy matters are made. Very high priority was also given to the committees dealing with food export-import inspection and certification, general principles, food hygiene and food labelling and to the Coordinating Committee for Africa. It is difficult to understand why developing countries give such high priority to meetings of the Committee on General Principles, which deals mainly with procedural questions. Quite a number of countries also gave high priority to the committees dealing with pesticide residues, food additives and contaminants and nutrition and foods for special dietary uses. With the exception of Committee on fish and fishery products, there has been relatively little interest in attending meetings of Codex commodity committees. 7. In many, but by no means all, cases there is a connection between the Codex meetings attended by the countries supported by the Fund and their food trade interests and this connection is strongest in countries for which food exports are important for their economic development. 8. In general, the Fund has led to better support for Codex activities at the country level, but the increase in support varies from country to country. In some cases, an active viii

9 Codex Contact Point and a national Codex Committee have been in existence for many years. In other cases, however, Codex Contact Points have been established only recently and/or are still having difficulty in getting the necessary resources to function properly. Participation in Codex activities has led to an awakening or increased interest at government and agency level in Codex and its work, especially in developing countries that have previously displayed little or no interest in Codex. This in turn has led to increased support for Codex activities through the establishment or strengthening of the Codex Contact Point. In many cases it has also led to increased cooperation between different agencies and other stakeholders through the creation of a national Codex Committee or similar body. 9. The first expected output (Widening participation in Codex) is already being achieved. By the end of 2007, the Codex Trust Fund will have enabled about 750 delegates from almost 100 developing countries to attend more than 60 Codex meetings. In addition, 111 persons from 72 countries will have participated in the Codex training programme, which should help them to participate more actively in Codex meetings. Over 60% of the support has been given to Least Developed Countries and other Low Income Countries. 10. The second expected output (Strengthening overall participation in Codex) is being achieved to a certain extent but, for various reasons, many Fund beneficiaries do not yet take an active part in the discussions at Codex meetings. However, there are a growing number of examples of countries supported by the Fund making important contributions to Codex debates. The Fund has undoubtedly increased awareness of Codex issues in many countries. Participation in the latest session of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa was the highest ever recorded (37 countries) and this was to a large extent due to support from the Fund. The Fund has also enabled African countries to participate in Working Groups, which prepare documents on specific issues for discussion at Codex Committee meetings. 11. The third expected output (Enhancing scientific/technical participation in Codex) is being achieved to only a limited extent in countries supported by the Fund, especially in the Least Developed Countries. However, some Lower Middle Income and Upper Middle Income countries (e.g. Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) have supplied data for use in standard setting discussions in Codex committees for many years. The main reason for the low level of technical and scientific participation by developing countries is their lack of technical and scientific infrastructure and resources. Without sophisticated laboratory facilities and trained scientists to operate them it is very difficult for a country to produce reliable data on the levels of, for example, residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs and other contaminants in food. 12. In his recent report, Connor (6) examined the linkages between increased participation in Codex and the ability of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to grasp international food trade opportunities. He concluded that, overall, the Fund might have improved the uptake of Codex standards in beneficiary countries and their application should enable exporters in more countries to trade internationally. However, many countries fail, for many different reasons, to apply the standards that are required for international trade. The weaknesses and gaps that exist in the ability of countries' food safety inspectorates and laboratories to conduct assays for residues and contaminants are major constraints to export opportunities. However, it is the food industry and traders that have to comply with standards before they can benefit from trade opportunities. 13. The Fund has a very limited and specialised role in capacity building and complements the much wider programmes of FAO and WHO aimed at strengthening ix

10 the capacity of national food safety control systems, as well as the capacity building activities that the Standards and Trade Development Facility coordinates. However, the Codex training courses that have been supported by the Codex Trust Fund are important to enable delegates from countries new to Codex to participate actively in Codex meetings and introduce and implement Codex standards nationally. Arranging Codex training courses in conjunction with Codex meetings in Africa, Latin America and Europe has been a very effective use of the Codex Trust Fund s limited resources and the organisation by the Australian Codex Secretariat of a seminar on traceability prior to the 16 th Session of CCAFRICA in Rome was effective and much appreciated. 14. Offering participants the possibility of attending two Codex meetings when these take place back-to-back, as was the case with the CCCF and CCFA meetings held in Beijing in 2007, or allowing participants to come early or stay on after Codex meetings for working groups are further examples of effective use of CTF resources. 15. Initially, and according to WHO staff rules, some participants were issued with business class air tickets for journeys over 12 hours. However, since the beginning of 2007 only economy class tickets are issued, except in exceptional circumstances, and this has resulted in considerable savings. There has been an effective check that beneficiaries have fulfilled their obligations regarding presence at Codex meetings, and very few problems have been encountered. 16. The Fund Secretariat has so far prepared eight Progress Reports, three Annual Reports, a First Biennial Review , a Report of the Administrator in 2004 and reports/notes from meetings held in connection with CAC sessions in 2006 and 2007, telephone meeting of donors in September 2006 and an informal meeting of donor countries held in connection with a Codex meeting in Paris in April In addition, the Secretariat also submits special financial reports to some donors, including Sweden and the European Commission. So far the Progress Reports and Annual Reports have consisted largely of information on the Fund s finances and details about the Fund beneficiaries and the Codex meetings they attended. However, the First Biennial Review (2006) contains more analysis of the achievements of the Fund, as do the reports of Krell (5) and Connor (6). 17. Comments on reporting from the Secretariat were obtained from seven donor countries. They are generally satisfied with the reports they have received so far, bearing in mind that the Secretariat has a very heavy workload and small resources, and they also consider that reporting has improved over time. The need for a database for information about the beneficiaries of the Fund was pointed out earlier this year and, with the assistance of the US Codex Office, such a database is now up and running at the Fund Secretariat in Geneva. 18. Many donors consider that it is high time to develop and implement a system for monitoring and evaluation in order to better assess the impact of the Fund at the national level in beneficiary countries: this is also one of the main recommendations from Connor (6). Such a system would give the Fund management a much better basis for planning future activities and also make it easier to demonstrate the benefits of the fund to current and potential donors. The information needed includes the following: a) action taken to strengthen Codex at the national level; b) action taken to review food legislation, administrative/regulatory infrastructure; and c) enhanced capacity to apply Codex standards and access markets. The analysis should be included in the Annual Report. In order to carry out such analysis, there is a need to strengthen the resources of the Secretariat. 19. Examples of measures that can be taken to improve the effectiveness of participation by African countries in Codex meetings are given related to a) the Codex Contact x

11 Point, b) responding to Circular Letters sent out by the Codex Secretariat; c) understanding Codex procedures; d) preparation for meetings; e) choice of delegate(s) to represent the country at a Codex meeting ; and f) coordination with other countries. 20. African countries could almost certainly increase their impact in Codex and better defend their interests if they could improve their regional coordination. The new Codex Coordinator for the Africa Region, Ghana, will encourage African countries that have a common interest to coordinate their positions and present a common position at Codex meetings. Ghana encourages the use of electronic communication systems, in line with the first objective of the Coordinating Committee for Africa s Strategic Plan. Countries are being encouraged to use the website developed for the Committee for effective communication. 21. Another possibility for arranging African coordination could be through the African Union (AU) and its subsidiary bodies. The African Union has observer status in Codex and has recently shown increased interest in Codex activities. An advantage of using the African Union for coordination is that it includes all countries in Africa, whereas not all African countries belong to the Codex Africa Region (Algeria, Libya, Tunis, Egypt and Sudan belong to the Codex Near East Region). It has also been suggested that it would be best to use African sub-regional organisations like the West African Monetary Union (WAMU), which has recently adopted regulations for food, vegetables and livestock safety. In order to implement this regulation, WAMU has set up a Sanitary Safety Bureau in its office in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Other regional or sub-regional organisations, such as ARSO, SADC or UDEAC, could also help to coordinate the views of African countries in Codex fora. 22. There are thus a number of different possibilities for African coordination, covering the whole of Africa, the Codex Africa Region or sub-regions. Since no single solution fulfils the needs all countries, it is probably wise to concentrate initially on one or two alternatives and at the same time explore the practicality of using additional coordinating mechanisms at the regional and sub-regional levels. 23. Fund has already resulted in increased awareness about the importance of Codex and strengthening of national Codex activities in many African countries. Increased active participation in Codex meetings will also result in a greater understanding of how Codex standards are developed and this in turn will facilitate their incorporation into national legislation. Greater participation in Codex meetings will also stimulate network building and information exchange with other Codex Member Countries. However, there are very large food safety capacity building needs in many African countries and these cannot be fulfilled via the Codex Trust Fund (nor was it the intention that they should be). FAO and WHO have extensive programmes to support capacity building for food safety infrastructure in developing countries. WHO plans a large increase in its food safety activities in Africa in the next biennium and FAO has recently produced very useful guidelines for assessing capacity building needs when strengthening national food safety systems. 24. FAO and WHO have developed a proposal for a project to implement the Strategic Plan for Food Safety in Africa, which was adopted at the FAO/WHO Regional Conference for Food Safety in Africa held in Harare in Many African countries have now sought financial support from the African Development Bank to implement the plan in their countries, but financing of the project has not yet been approved. 25. During the period , Sida has financed a series of international training courses on Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure Development for Food Safety and Quality. Each course had about 30 participants, usually from 8-10 different developing countries in one or more geographical regions. The evaluations carried out so far have xi

12 shown consistently good ratings. Each course consists of two phases. Phase 1 aims to provide the participants with a more in-depth understanding of international trade based on the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements, food legislation and its enforcement, EU food safety systems, international standardisation work in the food area, including Codex Alimentarius, the concept of quality, HACCP training, accreditation and laboratory testing. Phase 2 consists of project work to be carried out during six months in the participants home countries and a follow-up training course organised in one of the participating countries. 26. In Phase 2 of the most recent course the participants from each country were given the task of together developing a draft national policy for food safety. From a review of the presentations made and a brief discussion with one of the trainers, it is concluded that some of the countries are already well on the way to producing a draft national food safety policy, whilst others, for various reasons, are still some way from achieving this. Sida has already made a considerable investment in financing the training course. Therefore, after having examined the final report of the latest training course, it would seem wise for Sida to consider giving further support to selected countries to complete their work in developing a draft national food safety policy. 27. Sweden s (Sida s) support of programmes to improve food safety in Africa is very much appreciated by the recipient countries and Sida is a major actor internationally in this field. This, of course, means that many African countries are looking to Sweden for further support to improve their food quality and safety infrastructure. The Swedish Government has recently announced a number of changes in its international development cooperation policy, including a marked reduction in the number of countries that will receive bilateral development aid in the future. Many of the countries that will continue to be given high priority are in Africa. Therefore it is expected that Sida will review the results of the support it has given in recent years to improve food safety in African countries and, in the light of the new government policy, decide on its future strategy. 28. Many of the African countries that have participated in Codex activities for many years prepare country positions based on their national Codex policies prior to Codex meetings and present them at the meetings. According to information from Ghana, the current Codex Coordinator for Africa, many African countries may have national Codex policies in the draft form, but they are not yet formalised as official documents. Many African countries use Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as the basis for their national legislation or incorporate them directly into their legislation. This can also be considered to be a national policy vis-à-vis Codex. Recommendations Based on the findings of the present enquiry, the following recommendations are made: Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund, the Fund s Secretariat and the Codex Secretariat 1. In view of the current bleak financial outlook for the Codex Trust Fund in 2008, it is recommended that, in addition to seeking further contributions from current and previous donors, new donors should urgently be sought from among Codex Member Countries having the clear economic potential to contribute. Support should be sought primarily from development agencies, rather than ministries/agencies concerned with xii

13 food safety issues who, although supportive of the Fund, are often unable for administrative reasons to provide funds for such purposes. 2. In order to try to achieve a more stable financial situation during the remainder of the planned duration of the Fund, it is recommended that FAO and WHO representatives should reopen the discussion in Codex fora on seeking support for the Fund from foundations and similar sources, bearing in mind the need to avoid conflicts of interest. 3. In order to convince current donors to continue to contribute to the Codex Trust Fund and to attract new donors, it is recommended that the Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund develop and implement as soon as possible a sound and effective system for monitoring and evaluating the benefits of the Fund. In particular, there is a need for better reporting and analysis of the impact of the Fund at the national level in beneficiary countries. The information needed includes the following: a) action taken to strengthen Codex at the national level; b) action taken to review food legislation, administrative/regulatory infrastructure; and c) enhanced capacity to apply Codex standards and access markets. The analysis should be included in the Annual Report. 4. It is recommended that an in-depth evaluation of the progress and achievements of the Codex Trust Fund be carried out in 2009, i.e. half way through its planned life. 5. Although the Secretariat of the Codex Trust Fund is doing an excellent job with limited resources, the present arrangement is very vulnerable and does not allow time for much needed monitoring and evaluation of the results achieved by the Fund. Therefore it is recommended that the Secretariat staff be augmented by least an additional 50% of a full time post. If it is not possible to finance this from the Fund, the Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund should examine the possibility of obtaining additional staff on secondment from Codex Member Countries. 6. In order to better inform current and potential donors to the Codex Trust Fund about its progress and to provide an opportunity for discussion of future developments, it is recommended that the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat continue to arrange regular telephone conferences with donor representatives. 7. In order to be able to finance the participation of as many developing countries as possible with the Codex Trust Fund s limited resources, it is recommended that the Fund Secretariat continue to authorise the issue of economy class air tickets only and that applicants for support from the Fund be made aware of this policy from the outset. The Secretariat should also continue to explore ways of making even more effective use of the funds available. 8. It is recommended that the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat establish close contact with the Secretariat of the Standards and Trade Development Facility at WTO in Geneva and explore possibilities for coordination for mutual benefit. 9. It is recommended that the Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund confirm that a prime objective of the Fund is to support participation in meetings of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies by developing countries which would otherwise be unable to do so and, if necessary, amend its current practice for selection of countries to be supported accordingly. Applicants could be advised not to seek support to participate in Codex meetings to which the country intends to send a delegation at its own expense. 10. It is recommended that the FAO/WHO Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund should seek ways to improve the gender balance among Fund beneficiaries and that FAO/WHO consider carrying out a study into food safety in developing countries from a gender perspective and in particular its relation to health, trade and poverty reduction. 11. It is recommended that further efforts be made to spread information about Codex and its work to relevant groups in developing countries using the FAO/WHO training xiii

14 package Enhancing participation in Codex activities and the recently developed Codex e-learning tool. This can be done, for example by organising further training courses in connection with Codex Committee meetings and arranging national or regional workshops. One cost-effective way of doing this may be to hold the training course on the free day during a Codex meeting, when the Secretariat is preparing the draft report of the meeting, and to use host country experts as trainers. Financial and/or in-kind support for such training courses should be sought from potential donors in Codex Member Countries. 12. Since the Codex Contact Points in developing countries play a key role in the current system for seeking and providing support from the Codex Trust Fund and their contact details are subject to change, it is recommended the Codex Secretariat have in place a mechanism to ensure that their information on these details is kept up-to-date. Codex Member Countries are responsible for informing the Codex Secretariat about changes in such contact details. 13. It is recommended that the Consultative Group for the Codex Trust Fund continue to explore a simple and efficient means to monitor the presence at Codex meetings of and interventions made by delegates supported by the Codex Trust Fund. 14. It is recommended that FAO/WHO should establish a clearer link between the Codex Trust Fund and their food safety and quality capacity building activities. Such activities should include, where needed, support to establish or strengthen Codex Contact Points and/or national Codex Committees. 15. It is recommended that, through their country and regional representatives, FAO and WHO should encourage eligible countries that have not sought support from the Codex Trust Fund to do so. 16. It is recommended that the Codex Secretariat, together with Codex Chairpersons, consider whether a marked increase in the number of developing countries participating actively in Codex meetings is likely to require any changes in the length and management of Codex meetings, changes in Codex procedural rules, etc. and plan accordingly. Developing countries in Africa 17. It is recommended that African countries make maximum use of the opportunity given to comment on Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations under development by responding to the Circular Letters sent out by the Codex Secretariat. 18. In order that they be better prepared to look after their national interests at Codex meetings, it is recommended that, in advance of meetings and after consultation with stakeholders, African countries develop country positions on at least the agenda items that of greatest importance for them. 19. In order to increase their impact in Codex, it is recommended that African countries seek to better coordinate their positions regionally or sub-regionally prior to and during Codex meetings and support each others interventions during such meetings. In this respect, it is recommended that they study how Latin American, European and other countries use such coordination to their own advantage. Coordination can be achieved via the Codex Coordinators for the Africa and Near-East Regions (Ghana and Tunis, respectively) or, alternatively, via other regional or sub-regional organisations, e.g. the African Union, ARSO, SADC, UDEAC or WAMU. 20. In order to maximise their opportunities to influence decisions on current and future policies and developments in Codex and on its governance, it is recommended that African countries maintain close contact with the Members of the Executive Committee xiv

15 of the CAC elected on a geographical basis for the Africa and Near-East Regions (Mali and Jordan, respectively) and the Codex Coordinators for the Africa and Near-East Regions (Ghana and Tunis, respectively). 21. In view of the fact that the Codex Trust Fund can only support participation of eligible countries in a very limited number of meetings each year, it is recommended that each country carefully consider which Codex meetings to seek support for, bearing in mind its national food safety and trade goals and priorities. Before deciding on their Codex meeting priorities and who should represent them at those meetings, it is strongly recommended that the national authorities in countries with little experience of Codex and its work seek advice from their FAO and WHO country representatives and from Codex Contact Points in the region with long experience of Codex work. 22. In order to gain maximum benefit from participation in Codex work, it is recommended that countries supported by the Codex Trust Fund choose their delegates in such a way as to maintain a high level of continuity. 23. It is recommended that countries with little experience in Codex matters contact the Codex Contact Point(s) of a country or countries with long experience in Codex work with a view to developing an arrangement for mentoring and knowledge transfer. 24. It is recommended that African countries should ensure close coordination between the Codex Contact Point and the SPS/TBT Enquiry Point(s) and also between the Codex Committee, SPS Committee and OIE committee/delegate at the national level. 25. It is recommended that African countries should consider their needs for new work in Codex, i.e. the need for new or revised Codex standards, guidelines or recommendations that are of particular interest to them, and then make proposals in the appropriate Codex Committee(s). Countries hosting Codex meetings 26. In order to facilitate active participation in Codex meetings, it is recommended that whenever practicable, countries hosting Codex meetings should arrange for pre-meeting Codex information seminars for delegates attending such meetings for the first time (not just those supported by the Codex Trust Fund), using the template developed by the Codex Secretariat. Sida 27. Three years into its planned 12-year life, the Codex Trust Fund is already on the way to achieving two of its primary objectives - to support broader and more effective participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition in Codex work. However, many developing countries have only recently begun to take part in Codex activities and require further support to continue to participate in Codex meetings. For this reason, and to avoid a situation where the activities supported by the Fund lose momentum due to lack of sustained donor support, it is recommended that Sweden continue to make a substantial contribution to the Fund. 28. It is recommended that, after examining the final report of the latest training course on Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure Development for Food Safety, Sida should consider giving further bilateral support to enable selected African countries to complete their work in developing a national food safety strategy. 29. In order to be able to grasp opportunities on the international food trade market, African countries need to have a good knowledge and understanding of the SPS and TBT Agreements and be well acquainted with the legislation applicable in potential markets, xv

16 e.g. the EU. Since these issues, and other areas such as risk analysis, food inspection, quality assurance and laboratory accreditation, have been covered in a series of much appreciated Sida-funded international training courses on Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure Development for Food Safety and Quality, it is recommended that Sida fund further courses of a similar nature. In the follow-up phase of future courses, participating countries should be encouraged to develop national food safety and quality policies and strategies, unless they already exist. 30. In order to increase African countries food trade opportunities, it is recommended that Sida should give further support to capacity building for food safety and quality in such countries, either through bilateral development support to priority countries or by supporting selected projects implemented via relevant international organisations, such as FAO, WHO, OIE and STDF, or the European Commission. This should include support to develop food safety and quality policies and strategies, food control management, food legislation, food inspection, official food control laboratories and information, education and communication systems. xvi

17 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), an intergovernmental organisation, was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in The CAC adopts international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. Food safety and food standards are critical global issues - illness due to contaminated food is a serious and widespread problem in the world, and is also an important cause of reduced economic productivity. Codex standards have significant implications for both human health and the food trade, and thereby also for development. The CAC has currently 174 Member Countries and one Member Organization, the European Community. Codex standards are developed by Codex Committees and ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces (see Table 1), prior to adoption by the CAC and inclusion in the Codex Alimentarius or Food Code. Codex standards are based on science and the risk assessments which underpin them are provided by independent joint FAO/WHO expert bodies, such as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Codex standards are recognised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement ) as the international benchmarks for food safety. The CAC works in close cooperation with the International Office of Epizootics (OIE, now called the World Organisation for Animal Health), whose standards on animal health and zoonoses are also recognised by the SPS Agreement, and the third SPS Sister, the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), which develops standards for plant health. 1.2 The Codex Trust Fund (CTF) Although they comprise a clear majority of the membership of the CAC, developing countries and countries with economies in transition have not hitherto participated fully in its work. The primary reason for this has probably been budgetary constraints at the national level. In order to tackle this deficiency, the FAO/WHO Project and Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex (hereinafter referred to as the Codex Trust Fund or CTF) was launched in February 2003 and became operational in The CTF aims to support broader and more effective participation by developing countries (especially the least developed countries) and countries with economies in transition in the development of global food safety and quality standards by the CAC. The long-term goal is to improve global public health and food security by promoting the provision of safer and more nutritious food and contributing to a reduction in foodborne disease. In addition to this health goal, increased participation in Codex activities should help to enhance international food trade opportunities for developing countries and countries with economies in transition. When launched, the Codex Trust Fund was seeking $US 40 million over a 12-year period. Sweden, via the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has been the largest single contributor to the CTF so far, having donated 11 million Swedish crowns ($US 1,520,243) during the period (see Agreement between Sweden and WHO (1)). This is more than 30% of the total sum donated ($US 4,867,435). 1

18 Table 1. Codex Committees and Task Forces Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC) General subject committees Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) Commodity committees Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP) Codex Committee on Natural Mineral Waters (CCNMW) Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene (CCMH) (adjourned sine die) Codex Committee on Sugars (CCS) (adjourned sine die) Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (CCCPL) (adjourned sine die) Codex Committee on Cocoa Products and Chocolate (CCCPC) (adjourned sine die) Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins (CCVP) (adjourned sine die) Ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces Ad Hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Food Derived from Biotechnology (TFFBT) Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR) Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on the Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods (TFQFF) Regional coordinating committees FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA) FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Europe (CCEURO) FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC) FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Near East (CCNEA) FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South West Pacific (CCNASWP) 2

19 1.3 The present enquiry Before making a decision on further contributions to the Codex Trust Fund, Sida has commissioned the present enquiry, the terms of reference of which address the following questions related to the Fund (Project), with particular emphasis on African countries: 1. How has the money donated to the Project been used? 2. Which countries have been supported by the Project? 3. Is there a connection between the Codex meetings attended by the countries supported by the Project and their food trade interests? 4. Has the Project led to better support for Codex activities at the national level? 5. What results have been achieved by the Project? 6. Has the money (and other resources) donated to the Project been used effectively? 7. Is reporting from the Project secretariat to the donors and contacts between donors and the secretariat satisfactory? 8. Have African countries developed national Codex policies in order to obtain greater benefit from participation in Codex meetings? 9. How can the effectiveness of participation in Codex meetings by African countries be improved, for example by greater regional co-ordination? 10. How can Sida build on the activities supported by the Project to promote food safety in Africa, including the development of national food safety policies? 11. How can Sida build on the activities supported by the Project to improve the opportunities of African counties in the food trade area? This report comprises five sections, of which this Introduction is the first Section 2 gives the background to the Codex Trust Fund and how it operates. Section 3 describes the sources of information used. Section 4 presents the answers to the questions given in the terms of reference for the enquiry. Section 5 presents the conclusions and recommendations of the enquiry. 3

20 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Objectives of the Codex Trust Fund The Codex Trust Fund aims to support broader and more effective participation by developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the development of global food safety and quality standards by the CAC. The long-term goal is to improve global public health and food security by promoting the provision of safer and more nutritious food and contributing to a reduction in foodborne disease. In addition to this health goal, increased participation in Codex activities should help to enhance international food trade opportunities for developing countries and countries with economies in transition. In the Codex Trust Fund Project document (2) the immediate objectives are stated to be: 1. Countries that are members of the CAC, but which are unable to effectively participate in the CAC and its committee/task force process because of the limited availability of government funds to support an ongoing presence in the continuing work of the Commission and its committees, will be assisted to initiate a programme of participation in Commission meetings and in the work of those committees/task forces addressing issues of priority health and economic concern to them. 2. Countries that are members of the CAC, that have as yet to routinely develop and put forth national considerations in the Codex standard setting process, will be empowered to effectively prepare for and participate in the work of those committees addressing issues of priority health and economic concern to them. 3. Countries that are members of the CAC, that have as yet to participate actively in the provision of scientific/technical data in support of the standard setting process, will be assisted to initiate a programme of scientific/technical participation in committees addressing issues of priority health and economic concern to them. The three immediate outputs of the Codex Trust Fund are expected to be: 1. Widening participation in Codex. The number of countries routinely providing delegations to CAC sessions and to its committees/task forces, that address issues of priority health and economic concern for their specific countries, will have increased. 2. Strengthening overall participation in Codex. The number of countries routinely developing and putting forth national considerations in the Codex standard setting process will have increased along with their participation in Codex committees/task forces. 3. Enhancing scientific/technical participation in Codex. The number of countries that are actively providing scientific/technical advice in support of the Codex standard setting process will have increased. In addition to the formal Codex Trust Fund objectives shown above, a number of related matters have been raised at CAC meetings and in discussions with donors. These largely relate to the development of Codex-related activities within the eligible countries. 2.2 Support provided by the Codex Trust Fund The main focus of the Codex Trust Fund is to support participation by Low Income and Low Middle Income Countries, although Upper Middle Income Countries are eligible for some 4