Principles and Values of the food control authorities

The food control authorities in Palestine will work within the framework of the identified vision on adopting a set of principles and values that promote their role in accessing optimal results in the area of food safety on the regional and international levels with the view of enhancing the trust of the consumer and the food trade system.

“Complementary Principle” from the farm to the table:

all stakeholders to work on the development of a preventative approach along the length of the production, processing and marketing chain through the integration of safety and quality principles in food production, starting with production and ending with consumption. This would take place through ensuring that producers, processors, transporters, sellers, buyers and consumers play an active role in ensuring quality and food safety, as well as achieving societal awareness on food safety.

Continuous and renewed scientific approach in risk analysis:

the food safety control bodies will rely in their work on international and national data and expertise relevant to risk analysis, particularly risk assessments issued by international organisations and joint committees of relevant UN agencies (food, agriculture and health). Risk management will take into consideration economic results and the capability of implementing risk management choices, as well as recognition of the need for flexibility in accordance with the needs to protect consumers’ and public health. Continuous work will be undertaken to identify and describe risks relevant to food safety, as well as evaluate, in consultation with stakeholders, exposure and implications of political choices, taking into consideration all relevant factors to protect consumers’ and public health.

Transparent approach:

dissemination policies will be adopted to reveal activities of food safety control authorities with the view of garnering consumers’ trust in the integrity of food safety control authorities and consequently in food safety. Food safety control authorities will work on interpreting and explaining undertaken work and justifications of decisions with the view of promoting cooperation between all stakeholders and control authorities to increase everyone’s compliance with food safety systems along the length of the food chain.

Evaluation of the impact of monitoring systems (regulations and policies):

food safety control authorities will continuously work on evaluating the results of the adoption of regulations on food production and distribution and their impact on consumers in terms of health and food cost, particularly since some regulations and policies will lead to increased food prices.

Upholding of responsibility and accountability:

adherence to the highest standards of internal accountability and within an organisational framework for each ministry and institution, as well as accountability before the public, national organisations, universities and researchers, particularly the Palestine Society for Consumer Protection and before producers, processors, human rights organisations and the media. Monitoring authorities will continuously work on the issuance and dissemination of periodic reports on their work, as well as partake in public accountability sessions or workshops on the national or regional levels to present achievements against goals and desired results.

Justice and inclusiveness in laws and regulations:

national laws and regulations will take into consideration international standards and frameworks, such that these standards promote justice, inclusiveness and specialisation into all food sectors, taking into consideration national needs while accommodating fair trade standards on both the level of imported and exported products.

Compliance and gender empowerment:

food safety control authorities and all stakeholders will work on the promotion of gender equality, as well as the empowerment of women, children and marginalised groups to access safe food without gender, age or economic background-based discrimination. Monitoring authorities will adhere to consideration of gender in employment, promotion, training and continuing education of cadre, and particularly inspectors.

Partnership and complementarity with the private sector:

monitoring authorities will focus in their work on true partnership with all stakeholders, official institutions, civil society organisations, international organisations and private sector institutions, particularly chambers of commerce and specialised unions, such as the Palestinian Food Industries Union. The true partnership that sought is based on context analysis and joint identification of priorities, as well as holding continuous consultations in the submission of legislative proposals and evaluation of interventions and roles.

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