WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/427
13 October 2003
(03-5402)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English/
Spanish
IICA'S EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING THE WTO AGREEMENT ON
THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY
MEASURES (SPS AGREEMENT)
Information Presented by the Inter-American Institute
for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
1. To share with the members of the WTO SPS Committee the experience obtained in the
development of capabilities in IICA member countries, we describe in greater detail the activity insupport of active participation in the SPS Committee.
Origin of the programme
2. The programme is a joint initiative involving the United States Department of Agriculture and
IICA.  Its objective is to strengthen the capabil ity of the countries to enhance their effective
participation in the SPS Committee, and the approach adopted is based on the exchange of
experiences among participating countries.
3. Historical participation of the countries of the Americas in the SPS Committee has been
characterized by the absence of capital-based specialists, who are largely responsible for
implementation of the SPS Agreement in their respective countries.  Also, it has been noted that in
some countries the mechanisms for communication among institutions involved with sanitary and
phytosanitary measures are deficient, or non-existent.  (Graph 1)
4. Taking this institutional problem as a starting point, the programme focused on strengthening
the institutional base at the national level and on fostering interlinkages between the missions to the
WTO and the capital institutions.
Characteristics of the programme5. The programme made it possible for 32 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to send
two capital-based experts to three consecutive meetings of the SPS Committee:  in November 2002,
April 2003 and June 2003.  The programme promoted in ter-institutional participation with a view to
facilitating interlinkage among technical personnel in different ministries.
6. In advance of the meetings of the SPS Committee, workshops have been held to develop of
capabilities at the institutional level, the objective being to foster interaction among the participating
countries and the exchange of national experiences through the analysis of successful cases.G/SPS/GEN/427
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Results of the programme
7. Thirty-two countries (117 capital experts) participated in the programme.  Of the beneficiary
countries, 84 per cent had at least one delegate in at least two of the three meetings, thus contributing
to the objective of ensuring the continuity of capital and institutional representation.  (Graph 2)
8. Through the programme, it was possible to identify countries with valuable human resources
open to change who, despite their limitations and little or no experience with the SPS Committee,
took concrete actions in their countries.
9. The presentations made by the countries in the workshops revealed the institutional problems
they face in effectively implementing the SPS Agreement, and identified the processes  and actions
they had undertaken to address and overcome these.  Countries such as Chile, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador, Jamaica, Bolivia and Canada played an active part in this process, and their experiencesconstitute a valuable tool for the other countries.
10. As a result of the programme, and because the capital experts were present at the WTO, the
following results were achieved:
Institutional coordination:   The countries recognized the need for an adequate level of interlinkage
among the different institutions involved in the field.  Consequently, they have taken steps to begin, orimprove coordination between the capital institutions and the permanent mission to the WTO.  Also,
they have undertaken actions to develop or strength en the formal or informal mechanisms for internal
communication and dialogue.
Bilateral meetings:   Given the presence of the capital experts, the countries were able to hold bilateral
meetings aimed at analysing trade-related problems, which helped participants to better understandthe issues and, in some cases, to arrive at workable solutions.  This experience made countries more
aware of the advantages of being present at the meetings of the SPS Committee and of the
opportunities they afford participants.
Regional coordination:   One region in particular made interventions in the SPS Committee as a bloc,
and another is considering the possibility of doing so at upcoming meetings.  Also, some countriesstate that it may be possible to develop hemispheric positions which can be presented in the SPS
Committee.
Participation in the SPS Committee:   It was clear that the capital experts contributed much to the
technical discussions at the WTO.  Thanks to their presence at the meetings of the SPS Committee,
the countries of the Americas are much more active participants in the forum than previously.
Institutional strengthening:   The programme helped to foster institutional relations with the
WTO/SPS Secretariat and the international reference organizations (Codex Alimentarius,International Plant Protection Convention and the World Organization for Animal Health), which
provided logistic support for and contributed technical presentations to the workshops.
Future of the programme
11. Since the objective being pursued is long term in nature, there will be a second stage in which
the countries will be expected to be more proac tive and assume a greater financial commitment.  In
this regard, the countries that wish to benefit from this activity, must, where it does not exist, facilitate
the creation of a formal or informal committee to establish a national agenda in the SPS area and work
with other sectors and institutions to analyse different technical issues.G/SPS/GEN/427
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Conclusions
12. The success of the activity depends on cooperation and synergy among the countries, which
have played a key role in providing technical cooperation, and have identified and selected the topics
to be developed.  The continuity of the persons partic ipating in the activity is critical for  utilizing the
experience gained.  This, combined with the grow th of institutional knowledge which the countries
will gain from this activity, will help to optimize resources.  The key to enhancing the actions aimed
at increasing the participation of the countries in in ternational forums lies in being able to carry out
parallel actions at the country level, aimed at developing the institutional framework needed to
administer and implement the SPS Agreement.
13. Lastly, IICA wishes to recognize the contributions of the United States to the success of this
initiative:  specialists from the United States Department of Agriculture, and the United States TradeRepresentative, helped organize the workshops and prepare the technical presentations;  also, the
financial support provided was essential to carry out the programme.
100%
64%100% 100%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Central-Mex Cari bbean Andean SouthGraph 2: At least one delegate (the same individual) from 
capital present in two or more SPS meetings0102030
MeetingsJune 2003 June 2000Graph 1:  Participation by the countries of the Americas in the last 
ten meetings of the SPS Committtee with capital-based experts G/SPS/GEN/427
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For further information on this initiative, please contact:
ebolanos@iica.ac.cr (Eric Bolaños) or kwalker@iica.ac.cr  (Kevin Walker)
youngg@fas.usda.gov (Gregg Young) or maria nne.mcelroy@fas.usda.gov (Marianne McElroy)
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Agricultural Health and Food Safety
http://infoagro.net/salud
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