G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
9 July 2021 
(21-5422) Page: 1/6 
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 
PROGRAMME  
Revision  
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 via Zoom  on 12-13 July  2021, beginning at 10 a.m. CET. Interpretation 
in the three official languages will be available. The video recording s will be made available on the 
WTO website after the workshop.  
A dedicated web page is available on the WTO SPS gateway, with relevant information on the 
workshop and useful resources on risk analysis. Participants are invited to familiari se 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 materials on risk asses sment in advance of the workshop.  
This dedicated webpage will also include speaker biographies, presentations from the workshop, as 
well as the video recordings of the event in English, French and Spanish.  
The Secretariat is circulating this final version  of the programme  in advance of the workshop.2 
_______________  
 
 
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 , following which a revised version of the programme  was 
circulated by the Secretariat in document G/SPS/GEN/1911 . Members were invited to submit additional 
comments and suggest speakers by Monday, 7 June 2021 . The Secretariat circulated another  revised version of 
the programme on 25 June 2021, in document G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1 . G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Moderator : Mr Gregory M acDonald, Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
MONDAY 12 JULY 2021  
MORNING SESSION (10:00 – 13:00 CET)  
1  OPENING SESSION  
1.1  Opening remarks  
Opening remarks and overview  of the w orkshop and its objectives.  This session will also look at basic 
concepts of risk analysis in the SPS Agreement . 
Speaker : Mr Gregory M acDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
Video  clip: Risk analysis in the SPS Agreement, a few introductory remarks with Robert Griffin 
and Gretchen Stanton  
▪ Mr Robert Griffin , Consultant, Former National Coordinator for Agriculture Quarantine 
Inspection  and Former Director of Plant Epidemiology and Risk Anal ysis Laboratory with  the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Former Coordinator for IPPC 
▪ Ms Gretchen Stanton , Consultant , Former Secretary of the WTO SPS Committee  and 
Former Chair person  of the Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures during 
the Uruguay Round negotiations  
1.2  What the SPS Agreement says  about risk assessment, risk management, and risk 
communication  
Overview  of the p rovisions of the SPS Agreement,  Committee guidanc e and relevant dispute 
settlement reports  as they relate to risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication . 
Speaker:  Ms Camille Fléchet , WTO S ecretariat, Dispute Settlement Lawyer . Risk analysis in 
the SPS Agreement, an overview  
2  RISK ASSESSMENT  
Explore the concept of risk and how to operationalize risk assessment from a trade policy 
perspective.  Share experiences on building technical capacities in risk assessment, including 
currently available training tools, which can help participants understan d and manage some of the 
challenges associated with risk assessment, such as obtaining 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 , as well as s hare capacity building tools.  
Moderator:  Ms Marlynne Hopper , Deputy Head, Secretariat  of the Standards and Tr ade 
Development Facility (STDF)  
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Tom Heilandt , Secretary of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission  
▪ Dr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat  
▪ Dr Sophie von Dobschuetz , Veterinary Epidemiologist , Animal Health Service , FAO 
(FAO-OIE-WHO Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool ) 
▪ Dr Magda Sachana , Policy Analyst, OECD Pesticides and Hazard Assessment Programme  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
- 3 - 
 
  2.2  Roundtable – Member perspectives  
Explore and discuss Member perspectives and experiences related to risk assessment,  including 
elements such as hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, consequence 
assessment, and risk characterization, and related issues concer ning the implementation of relevant 
provisions of the SPS Agreement. Share  experiences  related to building capacity and tools currently 
available to help countries strengthen their technical capacities in risk assessment . 
Moderator:  Ms L ucy Namu , Senior Pr incipal Analytical Chemist, Trade and Standards Office , 
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service  
Speakers:  
▪ Ms Anastasia Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety  
▪ Dr Knut G. Berdal , Senior Science and Tec hnology Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Food , 
Norway  
▪ Ms Alison Neeley , Assistant Director , Plant Pest Risk Analysis  Unit, United States 
Department of Agriculture  (USDA) , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant 
Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program  
▪ Dr Lei Zhang , Head, Risk Assessment Division II, China National Center for Food Safety Risk 
Assessment  
▪ Dr Karima  Zouine , Head, Risk Assessment Service , Risk Assessment and Legal Affairs 
Directorate , Morocco  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussion s (13:00 – 14:00 ): Participants will have an opportunity to  interact  informally 
and raise follow -up questions with speakers on the topic of risk assessment in two Zoom side 
sessions . One side session  will be avail able to exchange with the relevant international organi zations 
and a second side session  to exchange with Members that participated in the roundtable . Discussions 
in these Zoom side sessions  will not be moderated or recorded ; the side sessions  will provide a n 
opportunity  for informal conversations. Interpretation will not be provided.  
MONDAY 12 JULY 2021  
AFTERNOON SESSION (15:00 – 18:00 CET)  
3  RISK MANAGEMENT  
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 
explored, such as identifying appropriate types of SPS risks to conside r for risk management  and 
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.  
Moderator: Dr Delia Grace , Professor Food Safety Systems, University of Greenwich, 
United  Kingdom and Joint Appointed Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya  
Speakers:  
▪ Dr Hilde Kruse , Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat, Joint FAO/WHO Food 
Standards Programme  G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
- 4 - 
 
  ▪ Mr Masahiro Sai , Senior Researcher  (Section Head), Research Division, Yokohama Plant 
Protection Station, M inistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) , Japan and Steward 
of the IPPC Standards Committee  
▪ Ms Joanne Wilson , Principal Adviser, Animal and Plant Health Directorate, Biose curity 
New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee  
▪ Dr 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 . 
Moderator : Professor Steve Hathaway , Chief Food Safety Scientist, New Zealand Food 
Safety, Ministry of Primary Industries  
Video clips:  Private sector perspective; Experience with public -private cooperation  
▪ Dr Ludovica Verzegnassi , Global Head of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, Nestlé S.A.  A few 
remarks on risk management  
▪ Dr Chagema Kedera , COLEACP Coordinator for the New Export Trade (NExT) Prog ramme 
in Kenya , SPS advisor, USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Senior Technical 
Consultant with the USAID -Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises on Horticultural 
Issues, and Regional Coordinator COLEACP EDES Food Safety Programme . Public -private 
cooperation in risk management  
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Kuan -Yu Lin , Technical Specialist, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug Administration, 
Ministry of Health and Welfare , Chinese Taipei  
▪ Mr Johnny Marchan Peña , Executive President , National Fisheries Health Agency  
(SANIPES ), Peru 
▪ Mr Taluí Espíndola Zanatta , Federal Inspector of the Department of Plant Inspection , 
Secretariat of Animal and Plant Health and Inspection , Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and 
Food Supply ( MAPA ), Brazil  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021  
MORNING SESSION (10:00 – 13:00 CET)  
4  RISK COMMUNICATION  
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 
communications 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 transparency, and 
developing confidence in regulatory decisions; discuss strategies to overcome challenges associated 
with significant insti tutional, capacity, and technical constraints ; and related issues concerning the 
implementation of relevant provisions of the SPS  Agreement.  
4.1  Relevant international standards  and other international and regional  guidance  
Explore the relevant international s tandards, guidelines or recommendations relating to risk 
communication  and role of the international standard -setting bodies in risk communication . 
Explore  the available international and regional guidance on risk communication . G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
- 5 - 
 
  Speakers:  
▪ Dr Sarah Cahill , Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat . Communicating risk: 
Developing standards, building communities  
▪ Ms Sarah Brunel , Implementation Facilitation Deputy Leader, IPPC Secretariat . 
Phytosanitary risk communication  
▪ Dr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat . Risk 
communication, OIE international standards, activities and tools  
▪ Dr Markus Lipp , Senior Food Safety Officer, Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO . 
Risk communication for food safety poses uniqu e challenge  
▪ Dr Hong Jin , Senior Scientist, International and Dietary Exposure Assessment Section, Food 
Standards Australia New Zealand . An introduction to the APEC Food Safety Risk 
Communication Framework and its development  
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 various 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:  
▪ Dr Wei-Chih C heng , Deputy Director, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug 
Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare , Chinese Taipei . Risk communication based on 
scenario assumption  
▪ Ms Madeline Beal , Senior Risk Communication Advisor, United States Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) . Risk communication at USEPA: An introduction to the SALT 
Framework  
Followed by Q&A  session and discussion . 
4.2.2   Translating risk assessment and risk management into communic ation messages  
This session will focus on experiences with t ranslating risk assessment and risk management into 
communication messages, including communicating uncertainty and leveraging new communication 
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 . 
Speakers:  
▪ Ms Andrée -Anne Girard , Senior Communications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection 
Agency . Communicating risks: African swine fever 
▪ Ms Yuqiong Deng , Chief of International Trade Rules Research Section, Customs National 
Targeting Bureau (Huangpu), General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) . 
Risk communication helps  gelatin trade be tween China and the EU  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussion s (13:00 – 14:00 ): Participants will have an opportunity to interact informally 
and raise follow -up questions with speakers on the topic of risk communication in two Zoom side 
sessions . One side session  will be available to exchange with the relevant international organiz ations 
and a second side session  to exchange with Members that have made presentations. Discussions in 
these Zoom side sessions  will not be  moderated or  recorded; the side sessions  will provide an 
opportunity for informal conversations. Interpretation will  not be provided.  G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2  
 
- 6 - 
 
  TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021  
AFTERNOON SESSION (1 5:00 – 18:00 CET)  
4.2.2   Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages  
(Continued)  
Speakers:  
▪ Ms Anastasia  Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety . EU legal framework on risk communication, recent developments  
▪ Ms Laura Whitlock , Communication Lead, Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, 
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, United States Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Multistate foodborne outbreaks: Using real-time data 
to communicate real-time risk 
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
5  CASE STUDIES  
Explore case studies of practical examples of experiences undertaking risk assessment, risk 
management, and risk communication  for SPS issues in order to examine how these three 
components of risk analysis are interlinked and where there may be common challenges with the 
application of these concepts.  
Speakers : 
▪ Dr Alan MacLeod , Pest Risk Analyst, Risk and Horizon Scanning Team, Plant and  Animal 
Health Directorate, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom . 
Pest risk analysis: Tools, resources and key challenges  
▪ Ms Amy Philpott , Risk Communicator, Watson Green LLC , United States . Risk 
communication: A public -private partnership  
▪ Ms Yi -Tzu W eng, Deputy Director , Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and 
Quarantine, Council of Agriculture , Chinese Taipei. Strengthening risk management measures 
for international mail articles of plant products  
▪ Dr Fu-Kuan Juan , Section Chief, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and 
Quarantine, Council of Agriculture , Chinese Taipei . Border control against  African swine fever 
▪ Dr Lilian de Luna , Section Head, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory 
Agency, Health Canada . Registration of pesticides in Canada under the Joint Review Program  
▪ Ms Barbara Gallani , Head, Communication Engagement and Cooperation Department, 
European Food Safety Authority . International initiative on trus t 
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
6  CLOSING REMARKS  
Mr Gregory MacDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
__________