Under the Patronage of H.E. Fouad Siniora, President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon
Arab Quality and Food Safety Conference - A Step Toward Harmonization
June 15-16, 2006
Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut
As the first of a series of its kind, the aim of the Arab Quality and Food Safety Conference is to establish the initial step toward the harmonization of efforts in quality and food safety requirements within the Arab region.
The conference comes at a crucial time for the industry, which in the globalization age faces international pre-requisites for export and entry into foreign markets. A major function of the agenda will be to study methods of facilitating trade between Arab countries and ensure improved international market access.
Toward that end, the primary goal of the conference will be to set up terms of reference for communication and transparency, which will be explored through the use of presentations and case studies by field experts and public officials. The conference will highlight successful examples of quality infrastructure, ISO and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards, which have been implemented in the Arab region.
The conclusions reached in this conference will be carried forward into the next two phases of the plan: understanding the needs of the Arab region with regards to quality and food safety; and the feasibility of a unified Arab regulatory agency for quality and food safety standards.
Conference participants include regional and international members of consumer protection agencies, export development centers, investment promotion firms and a host of manufacturers, bankers and business entrepreneurs to discuss, among others.
The conference is organized by Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group in partnership with Lebanon's Ministry of Economy and Trade and the Ministry of Industry, in addition to the United Nations Industry Development Organization (UNIDO) and QUALEB, a quality program based in Lebanon and funded by the EU.
