G/SPS/GEN/2192/Rev. 2 
 
13 March  2024 
(24-2264) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
SPS COMMITTEE THEMATIC WORKSHOP ON TRANSPARENCY  
MONDAY, 18 MARCH AND TUESDAY, 19 MARCH 2024  
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
PROGRAMME  
Note by the Secretariat1 
Revision  
1.  As decided by the SPS Committee at its November 2023 meeting, the Secretariat of the World 
Trade Organization will organize a workshop on the transparency provisions of the Agreement on 
the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS  Agreement) , on 18 -19 March 2024. 
The workshop will be followed by informal and formal meetings of the SPS Committee, lasting until 
Friday, 22  March 2024. The workshop , open to participation by WTO  Members and Observers, will  be 
of particular interest to government o fficials in charge of the implementation of the transparency 
provisions of the SPS Agreement, i.e. SPS national notification authorities (NNAs) and enquiry points  
(NEPs) . 
2.  The workshop aims to enhance the implementation of SPS transparency provisions  by bringing 
together officials to engage in a technical discussion on SPS  transparency -related work, and to 
exchange experiences on the use of online transparency tools, including the ePing SPS&TBT 
Platform . It builds on the successful June 2022 SPS Workshop on Transparency  which had provided 
the Committee with an introduction to the main functions of the ePing SPS&TBT Platform , launched 
in July 2022, which integrates S PS and TBT online transparency tools.  
3.  The workshop will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, beginning on Monday, 18 March at 15:00  
(CET)  for all interested delegates , and continuing on Tuesday, 19 March at 10:00 (CET) . 
The workshop can be attended in person or  virtually via Zoom . Interpretation will be provided in 
English, French and Spanish. Additional  training will be held  for SPS NNAs and NEPs in person , 
as indicated in the programme.  
 
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.  G/SPS/GEN/2192/Rev.2  
 
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  PROGRAMME  
MONDAY, 18 MARCH 2024  
10:00 – 11:15  
Group work on SPS transparency provisions  (in person only)  
This session for SPS national notification authorities (NNAs)  and enquiry points (NEP s), will include 
group work and training on SPS transparency provisions.  
Resource persons:  
▪ WTO 
▪ Speakers/ External experts  
11:15 – 11:30  Coffee Break 
11:30 – 13:00  
Group work on the  roles and responsibilities of SPS N NAs and N EPs and implementation  
challenges (in person only)  
This session for SPS NNAs and NEPs will include an interactive exercise  to enhance the ir work . 
Resource persons:  
▪ WTO 
▪ Speakers/ External experts  
13:00 – 15:00  Lunch Break 
15:00 – 15:15  
Opening r emarks  
Chairperson of the SPS Committee:  Mr Tayutic Mena Retana  
15:15 – 16:30 
Session 1: Transparency in the SPS Agreement and relevant online tools 
In this session, the Secretariat will provide a brief overview of SPS transparency obligations and 
recommendations, work undertaken since the Fifth Review of the SPS Agreement , and online 
transparency tools.  
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Rolando Alcal á and Ms Nazia Mohammed , WTO 
Q&A and discussion  
16:30 – 18:00  
Session 2: Linkages with transparency -related work in the TBT Committee  
This session will discuss notifications of SPS and TBT measures as well as ongoing transparency -
related work in the TBT Committee.  
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Rolando Alcal á, WTO. Notification of SPS and TBT measures  – Overview  
▪ Ms Serra Ayral , WTO. Transparency -related work in the TBT Committee  
▪ Mr George Opiyo , Head of TBT National Enquiry Point , National Bureau of Standards , 
Uganda.  Experience in identification and notification of national and regional measures that 
contain both SPS and TBT provisions to the SPS and TBT  Committees  
Q&A and discussion  G/SPS/GEN/2192/Rev.2  
 
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  TUESDAY, 19 MARCH 2024  
10:00 – 11:15  
Session 3: Monitoring the implementation of  international standards  
This session will discuss the  interface between transparency and monitoring the implementation of 
international standards, including the work of the ISSB observatories.  
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Farid El Haffar , Technical Officer , Codex Secretariat. Use and impact of Codex texts 
▪ Dr Laure Weber -Vintzel, Head of Data Integration Department, World Organisation for 
Animal Health (WOAH). Monitoring the implementation of international standards: 
Two examples from the WOAH Observatory: 1) Monitoring WOAH members ' transparency 
and 2) Using SPS ePing  
▪ Mr Descartes  Koumba , Agricultural Officer ; and Ms Rokhila  Madaminova , Programme 
Specialist, IPPC Secretariat . Monitoring IPPC: Successes and challenges  
Q&A and discussion  
11:15 – 11:30  Coffee Break 
11:30 – 13:00  
ePing  clinic – Building the operational capacity of NNAs and NEPs  (in person only)  
In this session for  SPS NNAs and NEPs , the Secretariat  will explain the different levels of access  on 
the ePing SPS&TBT Platform , including the  functions available to admin users . 
Resource persons:  
▪ WTO 
▪ Speakers/ External experts  
13:00 – 15:00  Lunch Break 
15:00 – 16:15  
Session 4: Preparation and submission of notifications: National perspectives  
In this session, Members will be invited to discuss the procedures to submit SPS notifications to 
the WTO, including through the ePing SPS&TBT Platform . 
Speakers:  
▪ Dr Maia Beruashvili , Head of Food Safety Division, Ministry of Environmental Protection 
and Agriculture, Georgia. Preparation and submission of SPS notifications  
▪ Mr Diego Schuch Nakayama , Health Regulation Analyst, Brazilian Health Regulatory 
Agency (Anvisa), Brazil.  Preparation and submission of notifications: perspectives from 
Anvisa  
▪ Ms Sally Griffin , Senior Policy Analyst - New Zealand SPS Contact Point Manager , Ministry 
for Primary Industries,  New Zealand.  Preparation and submission of notifications  
▪ Ms Bahati Samillani , National Enquiry Point Officer for SPS, Bureau of Standards, 
Tanzania . How do we implement transparency under the SPS Agreement ? Procedure for 
drafting SPS notifications  
Q&A and discussion  G/SPS/GEN/2192/Rev.2  
 
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  16:15 – 17:45 
Session 5: Reaching out to national stakeholders and other Members  
In this session, Members will share their  experiences on coordination at national level and /or with 
other Members, including  through the ePing SPS&TBT Platform . 
Speakers:  
▪ Dr Mohammed Benhaddou , Official Veterinarian, Standardisation and SPS issues 
Department at the National Food Safety Office (ONSSA), Morocco.  Monitoring and 
management  system  of WTO SPS notifications in Morocco  
▪ Ms Xianxian Tang , Government Counsel,  Section Chief of the SPS Commenting Division  
and National Enquiry Point, General Administration of Customs, China.  Promoting better 
transparency throughout SPS pre-alerts, China 's practice: A stakeholder focused approach  
▪ Mr Andrés Quiróz , Director of Negotiations on SPS Measures and Technical Barriers t o 
Trade , Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries , Ecuador.  
Compliance with WTO transparency provisions, analysis of ePing  notifications and 
coordination of the WTO TBT and SPS committees in Ecuador  
▪ Dr Betul Vazgecer , Regulatory Expert, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye. 
Transparency and food safety approaches in Türkiye  
▪ Ms Priscila Rech Pinto Moser , Federal Inspe ctor, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock 
(MAPA), Brazil.  Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture perspectives on identifying, preparing and 
sharing WTO SPS notifications  
Q&A and discussion  
17:45 – 18:00  
Next steps and closing remarks  
Discussion of any  possible next steps , followed by  closing remarks.  
Chairperson of the SPS Committee:  Mr Tayutic Mena Retana  
 
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