Hunter Valley 2007 Statement
APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum
A Strategic Approach to Capacity Building in Food Safety
On 4 April 2007, food safety regulators from APEC Economies met in the Hunter Valley, Australia and agreed to work together to strengthen food safety capacity building activities and improve information sharing. To action this, Economies agreed to recommend a strategic approach on capacity building activities within APEC .
1. In the spirit of the APEC Australia 2007 theme of “Strengthening our community, building a sustainable future”, we recognised that while Economies in the Asia Pacific region have different needs, there is value in identifying, prioritising and coordinating food safety capacity building activities. This will have significant benefits for the health and well-being of the entire population of APEC members as well as trade facilitation in this region.
- We recognised that better coordination of food safety capacity building activities is crucial to building robust food safety systems, to accelerating progress towards harmonisation of food standards with international standards, and to improving public health and facilitating trade.
- We acknowledged that in an increasingly global food system, a coordinated regional approach to food safety capacity building activities would provide Economies with the ability to respond in a positive and far-sighted way.
- As food safety regulators in APEC Economies, we noted that we are in a unique position to provide advice and guidance to SCSC in their consideration of food safety capacity building activities. We also accepted responsibility to work together to ensure the effectiveness and responsiveness of APEC funded projects. As part of this cooperative approach, we would also work in consultation with other APEC fora to access their expertise in relevant capacity building activities.
- We identified priority capacity building areas and developed a two-year strategic approach , recognising and welcoming the extent to which Economies are already working in partnership on several capacity building projects.
- In developing this strategic approach, we were guided by the broad goals of the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Initiative, which we note was agreed by APEC Economies in 2006, to
- Develop transparent information-sharing and communication networks that provide accurate and timely information to consumers and producers on food safety.
- Work towards establishing domestic food safety regulatory systems within economies, including food inspection/assurance and certification systems that:
i. are consistent with members’ rights and obligations under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements of the World Trade Organisation; and
ii. are harmonized, to the extent possible, with international standards (such as Codex, OIE, IPPC); and
- Enhance skills and human resource capacities to enable the development of national food safety regulatory systems that are harmonized with international standards.
- We noted that the Food Safety Cooperation Initiative can make an important contribution to APEC’s second Trade Facilitation Action Plan.
- In developing the strategic approach we welcomed and carefully considered the advice and input provided by experts at the concurrent seminar, “Latest developments and challenges in food safety”.
- We supported the agreed Operating Principles of the Forum, highlighting the necessity and value of partnerships within the region. We agreed to continue to support each other by providing advice, information and networking support.
10. We agreed to review the strategy the next time the Forum convenes to ensure that the longer-term benefits from the close and productive work at the Hunter Valley continue to be realised.
Mr Graham Peachey Dr Lin Wei
Co-Chair Co-Chair
Hunter Valley
Australia4 April 2007