The Minister of Health spoke at the regional conference on

Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA) and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia jointly organized a two-day event on "Improving food standards in Europe and Central Asia and expanding participation in the Codex" on September 14 in Baku. the regional conference has started its work.
In total, the international conference held with the participation of representatives representing about 15 countries was attended by the leaders of the relevant central executive authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Coordinating Committee for the European Region of the Codex Commission (CCEURO) (Turkey , Kazakhstan, Moldova, etc.), World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO), UNICEF, European Commission, World Bank and more than 60 representatives of other influential organizations participated.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, the chairman of AQTA, Goshgar Tahmezli, said that during the period of activity of the Agency, a number of reforms were carried out in the field of food safety in our republic, and the transition from a single management system to a single authorized institution was ensured in the field of food safety. Emphasizing that the approach of the concept of "Unified Health" has become an urgent issue in ensuring food safety in the modern world, G. Tahmezli emphasized the importance of this approach.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health of Azerbaijan, Teymur Musayev, emphasized that food safety plays an important role in protecting the health of the population and the healthcare system from possible threats: "According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated February 2, 2021, "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for socio-economic development", citizens providing a healthy lifestyle is one of the main goals. Also, in the 2022-2026 socio-economic development strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the promotion of children's healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition is defined as one of the main directions of action to achieve the above-mentioned goal.
In this regard, it was reported that active cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Food Safety Agency was carried out within the prism of food safety and health protection, and in particular, measures were taken to promote proper nutrition of schoolchildren.
Emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment for businesses that produce healthy and safe food in the legislation, the minister noted that the application of innovative technologies, the creation of a stimulating mechanism, and various researches create additional opportunities for the activities of enterprises in this area: the main activity of the Codex Commission is the protection of consumer health, fair practices in international food trade. Appreciating the importance of the event, Teymur Musayev said: "The Codex has an important impact on the management of food quality at the global level, and the panel discussions to be held will make practical contributions to the creation of the National Codex System."
The Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, the representatives of FAO and WHO in our country, the General Secretary for Food Standards at the Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and others, the creation of food safety norms that meet the requirements of the modern era and the management of standards, the emergence of progressive challenges in this field and the application of science-based food standards performed in the aspects of making.
Later, sessions on "Innovations in the region on food safety priorities", "Role and use of standards for safe food", "Strengthening the "One Health" approach to food safety" and other topics were held at the event.
The main goals of the conference, which will last until September 15, are the protection of human health at the national and international level, raising awareness about the benefits of science-based food standards, food safety within the framework of the "Unit Health Concept", and discussion of priority issues for the region due to its interaction with plant and animal health. At the same time, at the event, the latest innovations related to the role of the Codex, the achievements in the areas of ensuring food safety in Europe and Central Asia and the implementation of the Codex standards will be exchanged.