Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
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The exponential increase of food trade has been accompanied by the emergence of food safety related incidences in both domestic and imported food products. Therefore, Codex Alimentarius was created to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade. Countries and regions have responded by establishing food-safety laws and regulations based on these Codex Alimentarius standards even though they are not mandatory.
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional organization with ten country members, has recognized the importance of participation in Codex and the application of its standards at both the national and regional levels. However, the diverse development levels of the various countries are also reflected in the degree of implementation of food safety and quality standards at both national and regional levels.
To address this diversity, the region has set up interregional groups and task forces to establish its position on food safety, particularly regarding Codex issues. ASEAN also collaborates with other countries to get support in terms of funding and experience on how to improve and strengthen the capacities of each of member. One of the long-term partnerships established through the years is with the Government of Japan, which is actively involved with the region’s Codex work through funding and providing expertise.
This document includes a compilation of endeavours conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Government of Japan through FAO in strengthening the capacity of ASEAN countries to participate in Codex Alimentarius activities. These have created a huge impact in the region in increasing awareness about the importance of Codex and their country’s capacity to be involved in Codex work even with limited resources. Among the products resulting from these endeavours have been data, toolkits, infographics and protocols. These outputs would not have been possible without the collaboration and contribution of each of the country members.
ASEAN still needs to engage in further collaboration, as evidenced by the current needs of the region. Therefore, the FAO project, Enhancing Capacity in Codex for Effective Participation and Contribution of Selected Countries in Asia (GCP/RAS/278/JPN), will continue to implement activities on the enhancement of effective engagement in Codex work, building capacity to implement risk analysis frameworks, and provide technical support on data generation for establishment of food safety standards in selected ASEAN countries.