8. The Regional Coordinators presented the reports of the respective regional Coordinating Committees. In general, the Regional Coordinating Committees welcomed the information received on the progress of the joint FAO/WHO evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and also the work taken to establish the trust fund to enable participation in Codex by developing countries and countries in transition. It was noted that all of the Regional Coordinating Committees had provided input into the draft Medium-Term Plan, but that the further development of the Medium-Term Plan had been suspended pending the implementation of the recommendations arising from the Evaluation. All of the Regional Coordinating Committees had been invited to provide input for consideration by the Secretariat in the preparation of its working paper on product tracing/traceability that was subsequently submitted to the Committee on General Principles in April 2003.
9. The Delegation of Uganda reported that the Coordinating Committee for Africa had noted work on the development of Guidelines for Raw Milk Preservation Using the Lactoperoxidase System, reported that the Committee had finalized the draft Regional Guidelines for National Codex Contact Points and National Codex Committees for adoption at Step 8 at the current Commission session and highlighted the need for capacity building for countries in the region.
10. The Delegation of Malaysia drew attention to the recommendation of the Coordinating Committee for Asia that FAO/WHO be requested to convene an expert consultation on functional foods and that experts from the region be invited to participate (see also para 223).
11. The Delegation of the Dominican Republic, presenting the report of the Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean reported that the Committee had held a number of regional workshops that had resulted in the approval of a strategic plan and the establishment of a website for the region. The Committee was also in the process of elaborating a regional Code of Practice for food safety in tourist areas.
12. The Delegation of Canada, noted that the Regional Coordinating Committee for North America and the South-west Pacific was also in the process of developing a strategic plan for the countries of these Regions.
13. The Delegation of Egypt noted that the Regional Coordinating Committee for the Near East had embarked on a programme of developing standards of particular interest to countries of the Region.
14. The Delegation of the Slovak Republic noted that the Regional Coordinating Committee for Europe had discussed in detail the follow-up to the FAO/WHO Pan-European Conference on Food Safety, the role of consumers in Codex processes and support for capacity building for countries of the Region that were either developing countries or countries in economic transition.
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[5] ALINORM 03/28; ALINORM
03/15; ALINORM 03/19; ALINORM 03/36; ALINORM 03/40; ALINORM 03/32. |
