Arab Food Regulators Network • AFoRNet

Draft Concept Note
English • العربي

Background

An organized, informal structure, focused to leverage existing collaborations and to promote new collaborative opportunities between food regulators in the region. AFoRNet will focus on aspects related to:

• Enabling regular engagement, with updates on priorities, future directions and emerging issues.
• Coordination of efforts to address emerging issues, as needed.
• Work-sharing efforts / joint initiatives to minimize costs and leverage resources.
• Harmonization of food regulatory decisions.
• Common efforts of competency development and capacity building.
• Liaison and enhancement of existing formal collaborative mechanisms at the regional and sub-regional levels.

Modus Operandi

• Network of Food Regulatory Science initiated by Oman’s Food Safety and Quality Centre (OFSQC) and the National Food Safety Authority of Egypt (NFSA).
• Network open to all agencies / competent authorities wishing to join, sharing the same vision and objectives of cooperation.
• Agreement on values of Transparency, Collaboration and Independence.
• Network may contribute to the agenda of formalized mechanisms of collaboration at the regional (Arab / League of Arab States) and sub-regional levels (GCC/ GSO).
• Network is NOT meant to duplicate efforts of other initiatives underway in the region.
• Network would offer mechanisms of collaboration and engagement with other stakeholders: industry stakeholders, academic institutions and consumer / health professional groups.

Membership

Food competent authorities from the Arab region – countries of the League of Arab States.

• A lead competent authority will be identified for each country and will be tasked to enroll other authorities.
• One focal point in each country – the Lead Competent Authority.
• Where authorities have similar mandates – for example: two complementary ministries – they would share the focal point, alternating.
• Internal management within a given country is left to the country’s competent authorities.
• The Network will share information with all competent authorities enrolled, but will coordinate only with the focal point competent authority.

Network Governance

Network governance is accomplished through a Steering Committee composed of NFSA – OFSQC and other interested food regulators in the region (possibly including a limited number of competent authorities in the Steering “Structure”, to be determined).

Network may be operated / supported by the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS) – offering secretariat and facilitation support.