Within the framework of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s presidency of the forty-sixth session of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Dr. Jalila bint Al-Sayyid Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health, chaired the tenth meeting of ministers concerned with food safety in the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, which was held yesterday, Wednesday, via video communication technology, with the participation of Professor Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
In her opening speech, Dr. Jalila bint Al-Sayyed Jawad Hassan stressed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s keenness to continue building on the achievements achieved in the field of food safety, and to work to enhance readiness to keep pace with regional and international challenges and changes, in light of the repercussions of the sinful and blatant Iranian attacks that targeted the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, noting the injuries and loss of life that these attacks resulted in, and damage to infrastructure, including energy facilities, water systems, and transportation networks, As well as the disruption of regional and international supply chains, and the resulting challenges that are reflected in the food safety system, especially with regard to the smooth flow of food supplies and the safety of storage and transportation operations.
The Minister of Health pointed out the importance of food safety as a global health priority, an essential pillar of health and food security, and a pivotal element in protecting public health, enhancing quality of life, and supporting sustainable development paths. She stressed the importance of adopting an integrated approach based on risk assessment, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and developing evidence-based policies and legislation, to ensure an effective and proactive response and enhance the safety of food markets, especially in light of the acceleration of global trade, the development of supply chains, and the growth of innovation in the field of food.
In the same context, she also expressed deep thanks and appreciation to the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to the ministers and agents concerned with food safety in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and to the members of the Permanent Committee for Food Safety, for their continued efforts, stressing that continued Gulf cooperation constitutes a basic pillar for enhancing food and health security for the GCC countries and their people. The meeting discussed a number of topics on the agenda, including the unified food law (system) for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the mechanism for imposing and lifting the ban on the import of foods of animal origin and their products, which contributes to strengthening legislative and supervisory integration between member states, and consolidates the foundations of the Gulf common market and the customs union. The meeting was attended by Dr. Lulwah Rashid Showaiter, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Engineer Asim Abdul Latif, Undersecretary for Agriculture and Livestock Affairs at the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, Sheikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Dr. Samia Ali Bahram, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health at the Ministry of Health, along with a number of officials and employees of the participating ministries.
