|
|
| Agenda Item 7 | CAP 04/4 |
FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Asia and Pacific
Seremban, Malaysia, 24-27 May 2004
Prioritization and Coordination of Capacity Building Activities
(Paper prepared by India)
With globalization, the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and subsequent World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), food quality and safety issues have become significant in the context of food security, public health protection and international food trade. The need to improve food quality and safety, and accordingly the need for capacity building in this area, is well acknowledged, not only in developing but also many developed nations with a view to make them WTO-compatible.
Article 9 of the SPS Agreement and Article 12 of the TBT Agreement emphasize the need for ‘Technical Assistance’ to developing country members, in particular, to meet the SPS measures of the developed importing countries to facilitate market access for developing members. The Agreement further provides that the technical assistance may cover creation of infrastructure, research activities and processing technologies. It provides not only for technical expertise and training to the developing members but also the hardware necessary to achieve the appropriate levels of sanitary and phytosanitary protection needed in their export markets.
Accordingly, there has been an increase in food safety capacity building activities internationally. Some of these activities under the aegis of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) which have taken place in the recent past are available as an informational document for the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) (http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/006/y9805e.htm).
This paper addresses the need for national identification and prioritization of specific, urgent and important capacity building needs, coordination of capacity building activities, the long term sustainability of the capacity building activities.
The capacity building process must begin with an honest assessment by that country, involving all stakeholders, to identify the specific urgent and important needs of that country. The needs assessment process requires the review of the existing structure including legislation, agencies involved, existing capabilities, and priorities. The assistance needs would broadly include various aspects of human and institutional capacity building. FAO is in the process of developing guidelines for assessing food safety capacity building needs which includes assessment tools for different components of food control systems to assist countries in determining what these needs are for that particular country in each area.
In 2002-2003, the Food Quality and Standards Service of FAO developed, administered and compiled questionnaires for capacity building in food safety. Based on responses from at least 48 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the South-west Pacific and the Near East, areas were identified which needed strengthening. The report of these questionnaires can be found at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/CB_questionaire.doc.
In 2003 FAO and WHO jointly published Assuring Food Safety and Quality - Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems to enable national authorities, particularly in developing countries, to improve their food control systems. The guidelines outline the strengths and weaknesses of the elements of various food control systems and seek to provide advice on strategies to strengthen food control systems to protect public health, prevent fraud and deception, avoid food adulteration and facilitate trade. In addition to national authorities, the guidelines are also useful in providing assistance to a range of other stakeholders including consumer groups, industry and trade organizations, farmer groups and any other groups or associations that influence national policy in food safety and quality.
Although there have been various capacity building and technical assistance activities implemented in individual countries which have resulted in strengthening of specific elements of food safety and quality control, these have not always been coordinated or placed in the context of an overall food safety and quality strategy or development plan. As a result, many of these have been ineffective or inadequate in achieving optimal or sustainable results. It is therefore necessary to improve the collaboration and coordination amongst various agencies involved in food safety capacity building, whether within a specific country, regionally, or internationally.
Many capacity building activities do not adequately address the regional needs or address areas of common concern. Areas for regional cooperation should be identified so that appropriate assistance can be developed, thus leading to strengthening of the capacities of the entire region. Furthermore, the strengths of each country need to be identified and a system developed for providing technical assistance to other countries in the region. Some of the areas identified could include testing, inspection and certification including export certification.
3.1.1 Joint participation in international standards formulation
With greater acceptance of Codex standards, there has been an increased interest by member countries in the activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The SPS Agreement also clearly emphasizes that countries should participate in international standards work.
Participation by individual countries in the work of international standards setting organizations is very difficult due to cost and capacity constraints. Making known the view point of a developing country can require a great deal of effort. Regional capacity building efforts which would foster more regional cohesiveness would enable all the countries of the region to have a more effective voice in the Codex process. Countries also need assistance to provide relevant data to the Codex system and to take part fully in the standard setting process, including physical attendance at Codex meetings.
3.1.2 Safety management systems approach
The HACCP-based approach is being incorporated into the new hygienic codes under development by Codex, as well as the regulatory requirements of many countries including Australia, Canada, USA, members of the European Union, and others, especially for more risk-prone products such as marine, meat, poultry and dairy products.
To develop the industries and control authorities in the region, regional programmes can be arranged on a rotational basis to cover the following aspects:
3.1.3 Establishment of a regional centre for human resource development in food safety and quality
Training has been identified as an important activity to develop and upgrade human resource skills and to implement food quality and safety programmes as per international requirements. Efforts should be made to establish a regional centre for human resource development in food safety and quality to address the training needs of the region in areas such as food inspection, laboratory analysis, the application of HACCP, etc. Required funding could be sought from potential donors. This would address the needs of all countries in the region.
3.1.4 Equivalence
The concept of equivalence has been recognized in the SPS Agreement and is also being encouraged at the international level by Codex with a view to using pooled resources more effectively, avoiding duplication of inspection and testing, and ensuring that health and safety requirements are met effectively. These also serve as an important means of facilitating trade by recognition of the standards and certification systems of the exporting country to provide for an equivalent level of protection against health risks as those of the importing countries and also lead to reduced rejection rates and provide for reduced inspection of export products in overseas markets.
Such equivalence agreements are normally signed between the importing and exporting countries individually. However, if such agreements are developed regionally – a form of regional agreement for recognition of the equivalence of specified SPS measures of all countries in the region, it would not only benefit trade within the region but also give strength for negotiating equivalence agreements with third- party countries on regional basis. Such agreements would also help reduce the financial burden for each member.
3.1.5 Risk-based approach and harmonization at regional level
Risk to consumers resulting from hazards in foods has been identified as a significant concern at the international level. Article 5 of the SPS Agreement provides that sanitary and phytosanitary measures should be based on risk assessments, taking into account an appropriate assessment of the actual risk involved, and, if requested by the exporting country, make known details of this assessment. Codex is also promoting the application of risk analysis principles throughout all Codex Committees in establishing and adopting standards. It becomes necessary, at times, to carry out risk assessments before fixing standards for domestic use, especially when these relate to indigenous products or are different to international standards due to local or regional conditions. It is proposed that such standards are formulated at the regional level, based on joint risk assessment studies which are conducted by utilizing the strengths of respective countries. This may also require harmonization of standards within the region.
3.1.6 Laboratory networking
Increasing sophistication of laboratory instrumentation and methods of food analysis has handicapped many developing countries. Accordingly, strengthening the equipment, manpower and infrastructure of laboratories has been identified as an important area. A system of networking of laboratories within the region may be useful in order that the facilities in one country could be utilized by other countries so that facilities are not unnecessarily duplicated, while at the same time are available to all countries of the region. Accreditation of these laboratories on common international criteria would be a prerequisite.
Joint training programmes for laboratory personnel may also be organized. It may also be useful to have a system of specific laboratories given the responsibility of development and maintenance of standard methods and sharing of the same. Inter-laboratory calibration tests could also be organized within the region. This would also facilitate sharing of analytical test data for decision-making as well as standards development.
3.1.7 Certification
Facilities for certification in different areas, such as export certification, HACCP, ISO 9000, etc. should be recognized within the region, irrespective of the country of operation. A country which has additional experience in one area could assist the countries of the region without existing systems in that area until they are able to establish their own system.
3.1.8 Regional committee on safety and quality
It is proposed to set up a regional committee to deal with all food safety and quality issues in the context of WTO, which should have members from all countries in the region and meet quarterly to discuss the areas of joint cooperation and collaboration in the above areas, identify assistance needs etc. The chair could be decided by rotation and meetings also held in countries on rotational basis.
There is a need to coordinate food safety capacity building activities at the international level, including activities such as those given below:
In order for technical co-operation activities to be effective and sustainable in the long term, all stakeholders should be involved in addition to professional capacity building. Special emphasis should be given to appropriate sensitization of key persons, such as policy makers, and to the development of public education programmes related to food safety, such as inclusion of quality and safety aspects in educational curriculum. Food control systems must be strengthened by implementation of international systems standards such as Codex, ISO 17020, ISO 17025, ISO/IEC Guide 62 and 65 and seeking accreditation to ensure continued implementation of international norms.
Capacity building must reflect the needs, priorities and conditions of developing countries. Although there have been activities related to capacity building, efforts have been sporadic and critical mass and multiplier effects have not been achieved. Most of the capacity building activities have been focused on training and seminars, while infrastructure development, such as equipment for laboratories, has been limited. Capacity building must be addressed in an integrated manner with a national, regional and international perspective.