G/SPS/GEN/1911  
 
1 June  2021 
(21-4535) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
SPS COMMITTEE WORKSHOP  ON RISK ANALYSIS:  
RISK ASSESSMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND RISK COMMUNICATION  
 
MONDAY, 12 JULY – TUESDAY , 13 JULY 2021  
 
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM  
Note by the Secretariat1 
PROGRAMM E 
The SPS Committee agreed to hold a workshop on risk assessment, risk management, and risk 
communication at the  margins of the July 2021 Committee meeting, based on a proposal submitted 
by Canada in the context of the Fifth Review of the Operation  and Implementation of the 
SPS Agreement . 
The workshop will focus on risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication , building on 
the Thematic SPS  Workshop on Risk Analysis, held on 13 -14 October 2014; and the SPS Thematic 
Session on Risk Communication, held on 15 July 2015.  
The workshop  will be held in Geneva, Switzerland,  on 12-13 July  2021, beginning at 10 a.m. CEST . 
The workshop will also be accessible virtually on Zoom. Interpretation in the three official languages 
will be available. The video recording will be made available on the WTO website after the workshop.  
A dedicated website will be made available on the WTO SPS gateway, with relevant information on 
the workshop and useful resources on risk analysis. Participants will be invit ed to familiarise 
themselves with the tools and resources made available. In particular, participants who may not be 
familiar with risk assessment are encouraged to complete the WTO eLearning module on risk 
assessment and /or review other available material s on risk assessment in advance of the workshop.  
The Secretariat is circulat ing this revised version of the programme2 after taking into consideration 
comments received  by the deadline of 23 April 2021 . Members are invited to submit additional 
comments  and suggest speakers by Monday, 7 June 2021 . 
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1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice to 
the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
2 A first draft of the programme was circulated by Canada in document  G/SPS/GEN/ 1769, and its 
subsequent revis ion (G/SPS/GEN/1769/Rev.1 ). Members were invited to submit comments on the revised draft 
programme and suggest speakers by 23 April 2021.  G/SPS/GEN/1911  
 
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  Chairperson : Mr Gregory McDonald, Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
MONDAY 12 JULY 2021  
1  OPENING SESSION (10:00 – 10:30)  
1.1  Opening remarks  
Speaker:  Mr Gregory McDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
1.2  Workshop overview and objectives   
Overview  of the workshop and its objectives.  This session will also review  basic concepts of risk 
assessment and look at risk assessment developments o ver the years . 
Speakers:  
▪ WTO Secretariat , Overview of the workshop and its objectives  
▪ Video (TBC), Risk analysis over the years  
1.3  What the SPS Agreement says  about risk assessment, risk management, and risk 
communication  
Review of the p rovisions of the SPS Agreement,  Committee guidance  and relevant dispute settlement 
reports  as they relate to risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication . 
Speaker:  WTO Secretariat  
2  RISK ASSESSMENT  (10:30 – 13:00)  
Provide an overview of  and explore key concept s of risk assessment , including elements such as 
hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, consequence assessment, and 
risk characterization,  and related issues concerning the implementation of relevant provisions of the 
SPS Agreeme nt. Additionally, share experiences on building technical capacities in risk assessment, 
including currently available training tools, which can help participants understand and manage some 
of the challenges associated with risk assessment, such as obtaini ng and analyzing information 
required for conducting a risk assessment.  
2.1  Roundtable – Relevant international standards  and other international tools  
Provide an overview of  relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations  and other 
international tools  relating to risk assessment.  Share capacity building tools.  
Moderator:  TBC 
Speakers:  
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Mr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head , Standards Departmen t, OIE Secretariat  
▪ FAO-OIE-WHO Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool  (TBC)  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
2.2  Roundtable – Member perspectives  
Explore and discuss Member perspectives and e xperiences related to risk assessment, including  
experiences related to building capacity and tools currently available to help countries strengthen 
their technical capacities in risk assessment . G/SPS/GEN/1911  
 
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  Moderator:  TBC 
Speakers:  
▪ Canada (TBC)  
▪ Norway  (TBC)  
▪ Dr Lei Zhang , China National Center  for Food Safety Risk Assessment  
▪ Ms Barbara Gallani , Head of Communication Engagement and Cooperation Department , 
European Food Safety Authority  
▪ Ms Anastasia Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety  
▪ Ms Alison Neeley , USDA -APHIS -PPQ Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussion  (13:00 – 14:00 ) (TBC) : Participants will have an opportunity to  interact  
informally and raise follow -up questions with speakers on the topic of risk assessment in Zoom 
breakout rooms. One breakout room will be available to exchange with the relevant international 
organi zations and a second breakout room to exchange with Members that have made  presentations. 
Discussions in these breakout rooms will not be recorded ; the rooms  will provide a n opportunity  for 
informal conversations. Interpretation will not be provided.  
3  RISK MANAGEMENT  (15:00 – 18:00)  
Explore the concept of risk management , including the evaluation of risk management options,  
implementation, monitoring and review, and related issues concerning the implementation of 
relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement.  Additionally, challenges with risk management can be 
explo red, such as identifying appropriate types of SPS risks to consider for risk management  and 
determining, identifying and evaluating risk management options.  
3.1  Roundtable – Risk management and international standards  
Explore the use of relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations in risk 
management.  This session will also highlight the difference between activities conducted by 
international standard -setting bodies and the competence of, and actions conducted by, national 
authorities.  
Modera tor: TBC 
Speakers:  
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Mr Masahiro S ai, Senior Researcher (Head of Section), Risk Analysis Division, Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee  
▪ Ms Joanne Wilson , New Zealand and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee  
▪ Mr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head , Standards Departmen t, OIE Secretariat  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
3.2  Roundtable – Member perspectives  
Sharing of successes, challenges, considerations, impacts  and best practices related to risk 
management . This session will focus on Member perspectives. It will also include short video clips 
reflecting the perspective of various private sector actors.  
Video clips:  Private sector perspective (TBC) 
Moderator:  TBC G/SPS/GEN/1911  
 
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  Speakers:  
▪ Mr Johnny Marchan Peña , Executive President , National Fisheries Health Agency  
(SANIPES ) 
▪ Mr Rafael Mafra , Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture - Agricultural Attaché , Brazilian Mission to 
the WTO  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021  
4  RISK COMMUNICATION  (10:00 – 13:00)  
Explore the concept of risk communication , including developing the goals for a risk communication 
plan, how to develop a risk communication plan, how to ensure through internal and external 
communica tions that t he results of the risk assessment, risk management options , and assumptions 
and uncertainty  of the risk assessment are clearly communicated to internal and external 
audiences/stakeholders. Explore the importance of forming trust, working with t ransparency, and 
developing confidence in regulatory decisions; discuss strategies to overcome challenges associated 
with significant institutional, capacity, and technical constraints ; and related issues concerning the 
implementation of relevant provision s of the SPS  Agreement.  
4.1  Relevant international standards  
Explore the relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations relating to risk 
communication  and the role of the international standard -setting bodies in risk communication . 
Speakers : 
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Ms Sarah Brunel , IPPC Secretariat  
▪ Mr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head , Standards Departmen t, OIE Secretariat  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
4.2  Sharing of successes, challenges, considerations, impacts and best practices related 
to risk communication  
Explore and discuss Member, Observer, academia, non -governmental organization, and private 
sector perspectives and e xperiences related to risk communication . 
4.2.1   Internal risk communication  
This session will focus on exploring and discussing  effective communication between and among risk 
assessors and risk managers.  
Speakers:  TBC 
Followed by Q&A  session and discussion . 
4.2.2   Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages  
This session will focus on experiences with t ranslating risk assessment and risk management into 
communication messages, including communicating uncertainty and leveraging new communic ation 
tools.  The session will also explore and discuss  effective ways to target communication, who are the 
audiences, what is the government’s responsibility and role in risk communication , and when to 
communicate . G/SPS/GEN/1911  
 
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  Speakers:  
▪ Ms Andrée -Anne Girard , Senior C ommunications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection 
Agency  
▪ Ms Yuqiong Deng , Section Chief, General Administration of Customs, China.  Risk 
communication helps restore gelatin trade between China and the EU  
▪ Ms Barbara  Gallani , Head, Communication Engagement and Cooperation Department , 
European Food Safety Authority  
▪ Ms Anastasia  Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety  
▪ WHO (TBC)  
▪ FAO (TBC)  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussi on (13:00 – 14:00 ) (TBC) : Participants will have an opportunity to  interact  
informally  and raise follow -up questions  with speakers on the topic of risk communication in Zoom 
breakout rooms. One breakout room will be available to exchange with the relevant international 
organi zations and a second breakout room to exchange with Members that have made presentations. 
Discus sions in these breakout rooms will not be recorded ; the rooms  will provide an opportunity for 
informal conversations. Interpretation will not be provided.  
5  CASE STUDIES AND INTERACTIVE SESSION  (15:00 – 18:00)  
5.1  Case studies  
Explore case studies of practical examples of experiences undertaking (i)  risk assessment, (ii) risk 
management, and (iii) risk communication  for sanitary and phytosanitary issues in order to examine 
how these three components of risk analysis are interlin ked and where there may be common 
challenges with the application of these concepts.  
Speakers : 
▪ Mr Alan MacLeod , Pest Risk Analyst, Risk and Horizon Scanning Team, Plant and Animal 
Health Directorate, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom  
▪ European Union  (TBC)  
Followed by Q&A  session and discussion . 
5.2  Interactive  session (TBC) 
Active participation in facilitator -led interactive activity. Participants will have the possibility to 
complete practical exercises led by a fac ilitator to explore practical aspects of risk assessment, risk 
management, or risk communication. (This session is to be confirmed.)  
6  CLOSING REMARKS  
Mr Gregory McDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
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