PRESS RELEASE
Cairo, 23 October 2023 – The National Food Safety Authority of Egypt commits to Implementing the Recommendations Stemming from the Inaugural Meeting of the African Food Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFRAF) and to Play an Active Role in the Operationalization of the African Food Safety Agency.
One week after the end of the African Food Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFRAF) co-convened by the National Food Safety Authority of Egypt (NFSA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and which was hosted in the new Administrative Capital in Cairo, the leadership of NFSA represented by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Tareq El-Houby, presented the outputs of the Forum to the Board of Trustees of the Authority, reviewed the recommendations reached by the Forum participants and reiterated NFSA’s commitment to the operationalization of AFRAF as a major vehicle of collaboration between African food regulators, supporting enhanced convergence of food regulatory decisions.
“Hosting the forum in Egypt and co-leading its organization with the African Union Commission was one of the deliverables of our ambitious Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2026, which included the need for NFSA to develop the capacity to play its role as a leading food regulator regionally and globally, supporting efforts of food regulatory convergence and availing the Egyptian food and agri-food production sector with enhanced market access opportunities. declared Dr. Tareq El-Houby, Chairman of the Board of NFSA.
“Contributing to shaping the future direction of food safety governance in Africa, is also a direct response to the guidance offered by His Excellency, President Abdelfattah El-Sissi, calling for the necessity to enhance the resilience of the food and agri-food production sector, with a diversification of Egypt’s market access opportunities and a strong focus on the African continent” he added.
The inaugural meeting of the Forum witnessed the participation of over 200 delegates including 55 African food regulators from 38 countries out the 50 active members of the African Union. Food regulators from 7 other non-African countries, including Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Oman and the United States also took part in this event. All organizations of the United Nations working in the areas of food safety and food security were represented, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Food Program (WFP).
The 3-day meeting held from 11-13 October 2023 at the New Administrative Capital of Egypt, also featured the notable contribution of various officials of the African Union Commission led Her excellency, Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), who announced that it was the intent of the AUC to support the sustainability of AFRAF, meant to become the General Assembly of the soon to be operationalized African Food Safety Agency (AFSA).
Participants to the forum adopted the Cairo Declaration, which included the commitment of participants to make AFRAF a collaborative platform for African food regulators to share experiences and to develop capacities enabling the modernization of food regulatory systems in Africa, in a manner that contributes to the enhanced protection of African consumers and to creating a favorable environment for the trade of food and agri-food commodities across Africa, in alignment with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).