In preparation of the second joint FAO/CBD/OECD webinar on international biosafety databases: Good practices for effective national communication mechanisms, an online discussion on the topic of "Challenges and experiences in establishing and maintaining inter-agency communication on biosafety-related issues" was organized on 27 April to 10 May 2015. A total of 327 people registered to this forum and 50 comments were posted from 33 different countries. The online discussion succeeded in gathering a large number of participants from different geographical regions who exchanged their views and experiences on national communication and coordination mechanisms in the area of biosafety. The outputs of the online discussion served as a basis for a follow-up webinar. The recommendations made by participants during the online discussion...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR; also used for "antimicrobial resistant" in this document) is a major global public health concern and a food safety issue. When pathogens become resistant to antimicrobial agents they can pose a greater human health risk as a result of potential treatment failure, loss of treatment options and increased likelihood and severity of disease. Problems related to AMR are inherently related to antimicrobial use in any environment, including human and non-human uses. The use of antimicrobial agents in food producing animals/crops provides a potentially important risk factor for selection and dissemination of AMR microorganisms and determinants from animals/food crops to humans via the consumption of food

The Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is intended to help Member Governments participate effectively in the work of the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The manual is particularly useful for national delegations attending Codex meetings and for international organizations attending as observers. It sets out the basic Rules of Procedure, procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts, basic definitions and guidelines for the operation of Codex committees. It also gives the membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

The scope of the Webinar is strictly technical, inviting primarily technical officers from various governmental agencies who are tasked to work with international databases on biosafety. As the format of the Webinar is best suitable to have interactive discussions, the Webinar has been expected to play a role to facilitate inter-sectoral forum for national participants for their continuous communication. Regulatory decisions and political discussions have been excluded from the scope of the Webinar as these issues need to be addressed with the respective governing bodies.

Unsafe food causes considerable morbidity and mortality. More than 200 diseases are spread through food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, natural toxins, pesticides, and chemical or radioactive substances. It is crucial to detect and prevent spread of food safety hazards early. This is why FAO is supporting East African countries to strengthen their food safety early warning systems.

Based on the needs expressed by many of the CCASIA countries, FAO and WHO organized a one-day workshop prior to the 19th session of the CCASIA (the 2nd of November, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan), entitled "Food recall/traceability within the risk analysis framework - prevention of food safety emergencies" with the overall objective to provide technical guidance and support to CCASIA delegations on the topic of establishing and implementing an effective national food recall system to respond to food safety events. The workshop was attended by 45 participants from 20 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and other observers. The report summarizes the workshop...