RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA), will host on Thursday (Aug. 20) an "emergency meeting of heads of food regulatory authorities", which will be held within the program of international conferences on the sidelines of the Kingdom's presidency of the G20.

The meeting aims to develop a sustainable environment for global cooperation in the field of food legislation to ensure food safety in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It will also discuss the challenges that countries face in addressing coronavirus, in addition to identifying contributing factors that have supported efforts to mitigate the risks of the pandemic.

The meeting will be attended by officials of food safety authorities from several countries, along with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).

Saudi Arabia, through its presidency of the G20 this year, continues to work with all member states, has invited countries and regional and international organizations to contribute to finding solutions to issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic through international cooperation and sharing experiences between regulatory authorities. — SPA