79. The Commission considered further at its present session the special needs of the developing countries of Africa in the field of basic food legislation, food standards, control services, laboratory facilities and training of personnel in the light of a paper on the subject (ALINORM 71/11) which had been prepared by the Secretariat and also in the light of the observations of the 17th session of the Executive Committee on this document.
80. The Commission agreed with the proposal to hold a Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Conference in Africa in 1973 for the purpose of making an accurate assessment of the needs of the African countries in the fields mentioned above, and noted that budgetary provision was being made for the Conference. The Commission recommended that steps be taken by FAO and WHO to organize and make arrangements for the Conference.
81. The Commission noted that document ALINORM 71/11 also contained a proposed draft agenda for the Conference and agreed with the recommendation of the Executive Committee that the provisional agenda for the Conference might be along the lines of that suggested in paragraph 6 of ALINORM 71/11, it being understood that the provisional agenda would be subject to change in the light of further consultation with the African countries.
82. As regards the question of establishing a Coordinating Committee for Africa, the Commission agreed in principle with the recommendation of the Executive Committee that it would be useful to envisage the establishment of a Coordinating Committee for Africa, so that the necessary budgetary estimates be drawn up for inclusion in the proposed budget for 1974/75. The Commission noted that as this was a matter having budgetary implications for FAO and WHO, it would be necessary, in the first instance, for the Directors-General of both Organizations to consider these implications. The Commission further noted that the budgetary estimates for the 1972/73 biennium had already been drawn up and that it would not, therefore, be possible to convene a meeting of a Coordinating Committee in Africa in that biennium. In accordance with Rule IX.9 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission the Commission expressed the wish to have before it at its next session a report from the Directors-General on the administrative and financial implications of setting up a Coordinating Committee for Africa.
83. The Commission noted the statement of a Vice-Chairman, Dr. de Heer, that the comments submitted by him to the 16th Session of the Executive Committee and which were incorporated in ALINORM 71/11 were proposals which he had discussed with a number of African countries. Dr. de Heer also added that as a result of correspondence with Tunisia, Sudan, Senegal, Nigeria and Togo, all of these countries supported the idea of establishing a Coordinating Committee for Africa, as well as the representative of the region of Africa in the Executive Committee. As regards the proposed Food Standards Conference in Africa, Dr. de Heer stated that such a conference would enable a review of the recommendation of a Food Science and Technology Conference for the American Region, held by FAO in 1965 in Accra, to be made, as well as guidelines for the work of a Coordinating Committee for Africa to be drawn up. Following a statement made by the delegate of Morocco to the effect that Recommended Codex Standards elaborated for a specific region, such as Africa, must not be at a lower level than any corresponding Recommended World-wide Codex Standards, the Commission confirmed that it was not the intention, in the elaboration of any Recommended Codex Standards for Africa, that such standards should be at a lower level than the corresponding Recommended World-wide Codex Standards.
84. During the session, the representatives of African Member Countries (Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, United Arab Republic) met together to consider what recommendations should be made to the Commission concerning future work on the food standards needs of Africa. The following are the recommendations of this meeting:
“The delegations of the African Member Countries who are attending the Commission are in full agreement that the Food Standards Conference for Africa should be held in September 1973.
They also agree that this Conference may be followed up by the establishment of the Coordinating Committee for Africa in 1974, soon after the 10th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
In order to ensure the success of the African Food Standards Conference and consequently the work of the proposed Coordinating Committee, the African delegations hereby inform the Commission that they have designated Dr. N.A. de Heer, Vice-Chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and leader of the Ghanaian delegation as Rapporteur. His duties shall be to assist the Commission's Secretariat in any manner that the latter may reasonably direct, in order to achieve the success of the programme outlined above. The Rapporteur should also contact all the African countries to seek their support for the Coordinating Committee.
The African delegations wish to emphasize that the venue for the Conference should be one that will ensure maximum attendance and support from the African countries, and in their opinion, Dakar would be a good choice.
The delegates further request the Commission to transmit to the Directors-General of FAO and WHO the desire of the African countries that the Coordinating Committee should be set up in 1974 and necessary budgetary and other provisions should be included in the programme of FAO and WHO in the biennium 1974–75.”
The Commission took note of the above recommendations and agreed that they should be recorded in the report of the Commission's session and that the Directors-General should be invited to have regard to these recommendations when making arrangements for the Food Standards Conference for Africa and preparing future Programmes of Work and budgetary estimates for consideration by the Governing Bodies. The Commission noted that the selection of the location for the Conference would need to be determined by the Directors-General, with due regard for available facilities and financial support.
85. A number of delegates from Asia inquired as to what action had been taken by the Secretariat on the recommendation made by the Commission in paragraph 48 of its 7th Session Report regarding the holding of a regional seminar on food standards and legislation. The Commission noted that provision was proposed in the FAO medium-term programme of activities for 1974/75 for the holding of an “Asian Food Standards Conference” in 1975. This conference was included in the proposed schedule of meetings contained in ALINORM 71/28.
86. The Commission was further informed that a Regional Seminar of the type proposed in paragraph 48 of the Report of its Seventh Session was tentatively scheduled by FAO for 1972/73 subject to the availability of extra-budgetary funds. The delegates of Asian Members of the Commission wished to place on record that FAO should make every possible effort to ensure that the proposed Regional Seminar be held early in 1973. The delegations considered that expenses for the seminar could be kept to the minimum if only one working language, namely English, were to be used.
