The Organizational Structure of the Department of Technical Affairs

1.The Department of Technical Affairs is under the direct management and leadership of the General Department of Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression of the Ministry of Commerce with the following principal functions and duties:

• To collaborate on preparing drafts of technical laws and regulations related to product quality and safety;
• Preparing and establishing inspection programmes relating to the quality and safety of products, goods, and services, consumer protection, competition and fraud repression;
• Cooperating with national and international institutions related to product quality and safety inspection;
• Acquiring and providing information related to the measures on food safety and CODEX related matters;
• Collaborating on collecting risk information for conducting risk assessments on products;
• Collecting, compiling, managing, and keeping scientific technical documents related to the quality and safety of products and biotechnology products;
• Acting as a national contact point for the ASEAN Regional Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, and participating in the working groups of  ASEAN regarding the ASEAN consultative Committee Commission on  Standards and Quality;
• Preparing annual action plans and budget plans for the department;
• Managing and organizing administrative work, staffing, and inventories of the department; and
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the management of the general department.

The Office for Technical Affairs on Food Products is an office in charge of researching, studying and advising on the quality and safety of food products, drafting technical regulations related to quality and safety of food products, and communicating with the institution of standard, the institution of inspection and other stakeholders to provide technical advice on the inspection and monitoring programme for the quality and safety of food products.

The Office for Technical Affairs on Food Products has core activities as below:

• To develop the work plans and resource  plans as required for the office’s operation;
• To prepare the working operational procedures for the Office for Technical Affairs on Food Products;
• To prepare and lead the implementation of research, consolidation and study of documents on regulations, technical aspects, guidelines and standards related to food product quality control and safety prepared in other countries or by potential trading partners with Cambodia;
• To prepare and lead the implementation of research, consolidation and study of documents on technical aspects, quality and safety of food products;
• To analyse and comment on technical aspects of the positive and negative impacts on food quality and safety, which may affect the health and expenditures of consumers;
• To lead and prepare work execution plans as set out in the action plans and work plans of the department based on the functions of the office;
• To provide technical advice on monitoring and inspection programmes and mechanisms for food quality and safety;
• To provide policy and technical advice on food product quality and safety;
• To participate in gathering information about food safety hazards; and
• To prepare weekly, monthly and annual execution reports related to the performance of work and achievements.

The Office for Technical Affairs on Non-Food Products is the office in charge of research, study and advice on the quality and safety of non-food products, the drafting of technical regulations related to the quality and safety of non-food products, and communication with the institutions of standards and inspection and other stakeholders to provide technical advice on the inspection and monitoring programmes for the quality and safety of non-food products. In 2020, this office conducted studies on agricultural fertilizers from neighboring countries and studies about the domestic and European regulations in relation to cosmetics. Moreover, the office also conducted a research study on recalled products in the market in the United States for 18 selected notifications and a number of products within the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of European Union for 20 selected notifications. Meanwhile, the office has also conducted a study on the Cosmetic Advertising Code in Malaysia.

The Office for Biotechnology Products has duties toresearch and collect technical documents and regulations related to the research of biotechnology products, to codify the collection of risk information for assessing the hazardous risks of biotechnology products, to manage the technical aspects of the quality and safety of biotechnology products, to gather technical opinions on the surveillance programme for biotechnology products, to communicate with national and international institutions related to biotechnology products, and to perform other duties as assigned by the management of the department.

The Office for Providing Responses on the Implementation of Food Safety Rules and Codex Affairs is the office in charge of receiving and providing information in relation to the implementation of sanitary and hygiene rules in the international trade sector, researching specific hygiene and phytosanitary measures that are beneficial to the exportation of agricultural products and Cambodian food products, publishing notifications on sanitation and phytosanitary measures prepared by the WTO member countries and territories to the stakeholders in Cambodia, and collecting, managing, and storing all technical, scientific, standard and regulatory documents.

In 2020, the Office for Providing Response on the Implementation of Food Safety Rules and Codex Affairs conducted studies and selected notifications, which are or may be related to the production and trade of Cambodian food and agricultural products with a number of countries and local administrations that are currently trading partners or potential trading partners to Cambodia. As a result, the office selected 767 notifications (485 notifications for food products safety, 79 notifications for plants protection and 203 notifications for animal health protection) prepared by countries including such as: the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, China, Egypt, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Kuwait, Moldova, Myanmar, Mauritius, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Tanzania, the United States and South Africa. The office also submitted notifications to the public and private institutions such as:

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: General Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Administrator and Department of Production and Veterinary;
• Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation: Institute of Standards of Cambodia and Department of Technology and Science;
• Ministry of Health: Department of Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Equipment and Cosmetic;
• Federations and Associations: Cambodian Rice Federation, Federation of Associations for Small and Medium Enterprise of Cambodia and Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association; and
• Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.

The Office for Technical Communication on Product Safety Information is the office in charge of researching, collecting and studying information related to product quality and safety in other countries, communicating national level information within the food and product security information systems in ASEAN and other regions, and compiling all data and information on products that are not in compliance with product quality and safety requirements.

The Office for Technical Communication on Product Safety Information has the following core activities:

• Assisting in managing and executing the work of the office;
• Developing work plans and resource plans as required for the office’s operation;
• Preparing the operational procedures for the Office for Technical Communication on Product Safety Information;
• Conducting research and studies on event information related to product quality and safety;
• Acting as an assistant in coordination with international authorities, experts or organizations involved in the publication of event information on issues relating to product quality and safety in other countries;
• Collecting all data and information on product quality and safety from other countries;
• Assisting in drafting departmental reports on product quality and safety information for submission to the general department or the ministry;
• Conducting studies and collecting data and information on the products that do not comply with product quality and safety requirements;
• Assisting in preparing policies, strategies and plans for the establishment and operation of the national system to exchange information with the ASEAN Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed as well as with other regions;
• Assisting in studying or preparing proposals or other requests related to the establishment and operation of a national rapid alert system for food and feed; and
• Preparing weekly, monthly and annual execution reports related to the performance of work and achievements.

2.Organizational Structure

3.Main Development Partners consist of:

Helen Keller Organization; and

Alive & Thrive Organization

4.Main Activities of the Department of Technical Affairs are: Capacity building activities for officials at some branches of General Department of Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Protection: