ACT Project closure meeting successfully held in the Republic of Korea

The Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts (ACT) project successfully held its closure meeting on 14 May 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, bringing together donor representatives, colleagues from FAO headquarters and regional offices, country teams, and Korean official development assistance experts to review the project’s achievements and discuss future directions for sustainable antimicrobial resistance (AMR) management.

Launched in 2021 with the support of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of the Republic of Korea, the ACT project has supported countries to strengthen foodborne AMR management through a One Health approach. At the global level, the project contributed to the development of tools and systems such as InFARM and the ACT tool, while at the country level it supported implementation of Codex AMR texts in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Pakistan.

The meeting was officially opened by Jeong Young-Yi from MFDS, followed by congratulatory remarks from Tang, Shengyao, Representative of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in the Republic of Korea.

During the meeting, ACT teams and country representatives shared key achievements and lessons learned, including strengthened governance mechanisms, improved AMR surveillance, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and increased awareness of prudent antimicrobial use. Participants highly appreciated the project’s contribution to strengthening AMR management systems at both national and global levels.

“Mongolia highly appreciates the support provided through the ACT project,” said Enkhtur Byakharjav from the FAO office in Mongolia. “With ACT support, we were able to strengthen our AMR management system by establishing an AMR surveillance system and developing regulations for the prudent use of antimicrobials. Now, the government is taking ownership of these activities and allocating national budget to continue and sustain this work.”

The meeting also discussed future priorities, particularly:

• further dissemination of ACT experiences and tools across countries and regions; and
• sustainability of the project outcomes beyond the project period.

Country representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continue ACT-related activities through national budget allocation and by exploring additional funding opportunities, including the Pandemic Fund and FAO Technical Cooperation Programme projects. Participants also discussed expanding the use of InFARM and other ACT-developed approaches in future initiatives.

“We highly appreciate the commitment and collaboration demonstrated by all participating countries throughout the implementation of the ACT project,” said Jeong Young-Yi, reaffirming the Republic of Korea’s continued support for global efforts to address foodborne AMR through a One Health approach.

The ACT project will officially conclude in July 2026. As part of its legacy and outreach efforts, the ACT team is planning a World Food Safety Day event during the FAO Council session on 8 June 2026 to further promote Codex AMR texts and share country experiences on One Health approaches for foodborne AMR management.

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The ACT Project