G/SPS/GEN/2103  
 
2 March  2023 
(23-1438) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
ACTIONS AIMED AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO AGREEMENT  
ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY THE INTER -AMERICAN INSTITUTE  
FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE (IICA)  
The following communication, received on 1 March  2023, is being circulated at the request of  IICA. 
 
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The observer organizations of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS Committee) are invited to submit reports on th e activities they have carried out to promote 
the understanding and implementation of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). IICA would like to present some of the actions and 
activities that it considers r elevant to the work of this Committee.  
1  SUPPORT FOR MULTILATERAL FORA ASSOCIATED WITH SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
1.1  Codex Alimentarius Colloquia  
1.1.  IICA, in collaboration with the United States Codex Office , CCLAC  and the AU -IBAR, continues 
to support it s member countries in their active participation in the Codex Alimentarius, through the 
implementation of an annual program of colloquiums aimed at the CCLAC and the CCAFRICA 
countries and the United States. In these colloquiums, both regions (43% of the C odex membership) 
discuss and exchange opinions on the various agenda items of each of the official Codex Alimentarius 
meetings. These meetings motivate and support developing countries to enhance their active 
participation both individually and regionally.  The most recent colloquiums were:  
− November 2022 – preparation for the 45th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(CAC45) – Besides the Virtual Colloquium, IICA has coordinated and financed the physical 
participation of delegates from the CCLAC Region at CAC 45. Through this effort, the region 
was physically represented at  the session by 30 of the 31 CCLAC countries (23 with IICA 
resources and 7 with their own resources);  
− January 2023 – preparation for the 26th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of 
Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF26);  
− February 2023 – preparation fo r the 43rd Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and 
Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU43).  
1.2.  These events provided an opportunity for delegates from these two regions and the 
United  States to analy ze issues of common interest and develop regional  participation strategies 
prior to those Codex Committee meetings.  
1.2  Codex Alimentarius Colloquia  for the Private Sector  
1.3.  In partnership with the United States Dairy Export Council (USDEC), IICA hosted in 
November  2022 a colloquium in preparation for the CAC45 aimed at private sector stakeholders, 
from Latin America and the Caribbean Regions, involved in Codex Alimentarius activities. The activity G/SPS/GEN/2103  
 
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  was held virtually, with simultaneous interpretation English/Spanish and counted with presentations 
from renowned experts from the Americas.  
1.3  Regional Coordination Session on WTO SPS Matters  
1.4.  Adding to the regional efforts to strengthen capacities in the hemisphere for the application of 
sanitary and phytosanitary measures an d working in collaboration with several of its members IICA 
conducted in November 2022  its Fifth Coordination Session on WTO SPS Committee Matters. 
The meeting was hosted virtually with simultaneous interpretation for English, Spanish and French 
and was at tended by 1 10 participants from thirty -one countries. Considering the current prominent 
subjects under discussion in the WTO SPS Committee, the Fifth Coordination Session addressed 
matters related to  the Working Groups of the SPS Declaration for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference 
(WT/MIN(2 2)/27 ). The next coordination session on WTO SPS Committee matters will occur in 
March  2023 in preparation for the forthcoming 8 5th Session of the WTO  SPS Committee.  
1.4  Inter -American Coordinating Group in Plant Health (GICSV) recent activities  
1.5.  Since the cons titution of the GICSV, IICA has exercised the Technical Secretariat on a 
permanent basis and currently hosts its website . In recent years it has maintained an intense agenda 
and a work plan focused on  institutional strengthening, coordination of activities and attention to 
the main emerging phytosanitary issues. The most relevant events and activities conducted during 
the period covered by this report were:  
Meetings of the Working Groups : 
− December 2022  – Meeting HLB Working Group  
− January 2023 – Meeting Orthopter Working Group  
− February 2023 – Meeting FOC R4T Working Group  
− February 2023 – Meeting HLB Working Group  
− February 2023 – Meeting Fruit -fly Working Group  
− February 2023 – Meeting e -Phyto Work Group  
− February 2023 – "GICSV Citrus Health Webinars " 
− February 2023 – Webinar on Sea Container and Cargo Cleanliness Activities  
− March 2023 – GICSV Coordinating Committee Meeting  
− March 2023 – Meeting of the Tuta Absoluta Working Group  
2  INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS IN REGARD TO SPS MEASURES  
2.1  Strategy Session on WOAH Guidelines  
2.1.  Aiming at improving coordination and promoting the development of harmonized comments on 
the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code chapters, IICA hosted in its Headquarte rs in Costa Rica, 
in December 2022, the twelfth edition of its Strategy Session organized in partnership and sponsored 
by the USDA. Matters related to Chapter 8.8 - Foot-and-mouth disease; Chapter 11.4 – Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy; Chapter 12.2 - Contagious Equine Metritis; Chapter 12.7 - Equine 
Piroplasmosis; Chapter 13 - Equine Influenza; Process for the Generation of Draft Joint Proposals to 
Present the WOAH; Establishment of a Working Group on the Glossary Definitions for Poultry, 
Backyard Poultry  and Meat Products.  
3  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
3.1  Latin American Trade Bloc Project (LAC)  
3.1.  In a partnership between IICA and the USDA, the LAC Project provides technical advice on 
agricultural health, food safety and food quality matters. With the support of certified l ead 
instructors, it focuses primarily on companies, organizations, and producers in need of training on 
the US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules. Besides the face -to-face training, the technical 
assistance modality of the LAC Project consists of v isits to production plants where the trainees have 
the opportunity to accompany audits.  
3.2.  From November 2022 to March 2023 , the following activities were ca rried out:  G/SPS/GEN/2103  
 
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  − FSMA  Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI) Workshop, in Guatemala with a total 
of 20 growers trained;  
− FSMA Produce Safety Grower Trainings in Peru and Ecuador with a total more than 
500 growers trained;  
− Food Safety Regional Directors Meeting for Cen tral America and Dominican Republic to 
discuss and identify priority areas or technical cooperation. 22 Delegates were at the 
meeting.  
3.2  African Swine Fever  
3.3.  Within the framework of the GFTADs, IICA has been leading training actions for the prevention 
of Afri can Swine Fever (ASF) in the countries of America and the Caribbean, which are still free of 
the disease. This coordination is being developed in conjunction with the different international 
agencies, as well as regional agencies ( WOAH , FAO, CVP, CAN, CAFH SA, CaribVET, OIRSA, USDA, 
COPEG).  
3.4.  Continuing with the work plan for 2022, IICA hosted from November 2022 to February 2023 
the three  parts of the hemispheric webinar on ASF Risk Communication . 
3.3  Antimicrobial resistance twining project  
3.5.  In the framework of th is action, developed with the support of USDA/FAS, eight countries 
received assistance in the following areas: Costa Rica - AMR Surveillance in aquaculture ; Honduras, 
El Salvador and Nicaragua - AMR Surveillance Pilot Plan (poultry ); Brazil, Chile and Mexi co - 
Laboratory data analysis and Trinidad and Tobago: Laboratory Certification.  
3.4  STDF Project: Piloting the use of Third -Party Assurance (TPA) Programme in Central 
America (Belize and Honduras) to improve food safety outcomes for public health and 
trade  
3.6.  This pilot project seeks to drive up compliance with national food safety standards and 
regulations through better targeting of official resources to facilitate improved public health 
outcomes and trade opportunities. In the last part of 202 2, a series of vi rtual and in -person 
workshops were held to increase understanding, knowledge and expertise on the different 
approaches, schemes, and regulatory options for using data generated by vTPA programs. 
In addition, the capacity building actions of government insp ectors in risk -based inspection practices 
will continue until May 2023.  
For further information, please contact Ana Marisa Cordero ( ana.cordero@iica.int ). 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture ( IICA)  
Agricultural Health and Food Safety  
http://www.iica.int  
 
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