G/SPS/GEN/1995  
 
3 March  2022 
(22-1995) Page: 1/4 
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 3 March  2022, 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 FOR A ASSOCIATED WITH SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
1.1  Codex Alimentarius Colloqui a 
1.1.  IICA, in collaboration with the United States Codex Office and the AU -IBAR, continues to 
support its membe r countries in their active participation in the Codex Alimentarius, through the 
implementation of an annual program of colloquiums aimed at the CCLAC regions, CCAFRICA and 
the United States. In these colloquiums, both regions (43% of the Codex 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:  
− February 2022 – 52th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH52);  
− November 2021 – 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special 
Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU42).  
1.2.  These events provided an opportunity for delegates from these two regions and the United 
States to analyse issues of common interest and develop regional participa tion strategies prior to 
those Codex Committee meetings.  
1.2  Inter -American Coordinating Group in Plant Health (GICSV) recent activities  
1.3.  The GICSV is a collaborative arrangement of the Regional Plant Protection Organizations 
(RPPOs) of the countries of the Ame rican Hemisphere and the Caribbean (CAHFSA, CAN, COSAVE, 
NAPPO and OIRSA). It is a mechanism, with a hemispheric scope, for coordination and cooperation 
in the area of agricultural protection, according to the spirit supported by the International Plant 
Protection Convention (IPPC). This Group was created with the purpose of promoting joint actions 
aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of pests in plants, plant products and other 
regulated articles, as well as promoting the adoption of appropriate  measures for their control.  
1.4.  Since the constitution of the GICSV, IICA has exercised the Technical Secretariat on a 
permanent basis and currently hosts its website . In recent years it has maintained a n intense agenda G/SPS/GEN/1995  
 
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  and a work plan focused on institutional strengthening, coordination of activities and attention to 
the main emerging phytosanitary issues. It currently has biannual work plans and has set up Working 
Groups on relevant topics such as Elect ronic Certification (ePhyto), Fruit Fly, HLB, Tuta Absoluta , 
Orthopteros Plague (Lobster) and FOC R4T. The most recent activities of the Working Groups were:  
− February 2022 - Virtual Seminar " Risk-Based Sampling -RMF: Available tools and their use "; 
− February 2022  - Workshop " Use of remote sensing in Orthopteran pests ". 
2  INTER NATIONAL STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS IN REGARD TO SPS MEASURES  
2.1  Strategy Session on OIE Guidelines  
2.1.  Aiming at improving coordination and promoting the development of harmonized comments 
on the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code chapters, IICA hosted on -line, i n December 2021, 
the ninetieth edition of its Strategy Session organized in partnership and sponsored by the USDA. 
64 veterinary officers from 21 countries of the hemisphere attended the session.  
2.2  Project - Harmonization of Pesticide Registration Procedures  and Maximum Residue 
Limits for the Central and Andean Regions  
2.2.  Following up on the information provided in July 2021 ( G/SPS/GEN/1965 ), IICA continues with 
the implementation of the project "Harmonization of Procedures for the Registration of Chemical 
Pesticides for Agricultural Use ( PQUA), Biopesticides and Alignment in the Establishment of Maximum 
Residue Limits (MRLs)". This project is carried out with the technical and financial support of 
FAS/USDA.  
2.3.  During this reporting period, an eleven -module training on basic aspects of registr ation was 
implemented, aimed at newly hired or inexperienced officials from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and 
Colombia. This training effort was implemented in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Andean 
Community of Nations.  
2.4.  Additionally, progress was made  in the preparation of the drafts that will serve as a basis for 
the establishment of regional regulations in the countries of the Central American Economic 
Integration System (SIECA), Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. 
The project also included the Dominican Republic in this process. The drafts that are in preparation 
are for the three fundamental topics of the project (registration of PQUA, Biopesticides and MR Ls), 
but additionally, work is being done to incorporate new to pics such as early warning systems and 
monitoring programs.  
2.3  11th European Development Fund (EDF) – SPS Project  
2.5.  The actions of the SPS project seek to strengthen Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) 
Systems in the CARIFORUM Region. During this report period, the following actions were undertaken 
to strengthen the SPS regulatory environment and build the capacity of public and private sector in 
SPS compliance requirements:  
− October 2021 - Capacity Building to Safeguard the United States and Caribbean Bor ders 
from Pest Incursions – Phase II. This activity sought to develop knowledge products that will 
assist with building the capacity of the Region to safeguard borders from priority pests. 
Three  knowledge products were developed:  
o National Emergency Respons e Plan for Caribbean Countries - Citrus Canker ; 
o National Emergency Response Plan for Caribbean Countries - Citrus Leprosis ; 
o Guidelines to Develop Tabletop Simulation Guidelines which will be used to evaluate the 
readiness of countries to respond to pest incursions.  
− October 2021 - Development of Regional and National AHFS Policy.  
o A validated Regional AHFS Policy and Action Plan and National AHFS Policy Framework 
for endorsement by Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).  
o A brief was also de veloped which will be used to sensitise policy makers on the 
importance of the AHFS Policy for improving SPS compliance.  G/SPS/GEN/1995  
 
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  − December 2021 - Launch of Food Safety Information Portal "Enhancing food safety capacity 
of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through the use of information and communication 
technology in selected Caribbean Countries" (Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, S aint Kitts and 
Nevis, S aint Lucia, S aint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago). This action 
is expected to contribute to:  
o Impro ving the capacity of selected MSEs to comply with food safety standards required 
by local and regional markets ; 
o Increasing knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration among select MSEs ; 
o Improving the greater use of e -agriculture by MSEs in target count ries. 
− February 2022 - Legislative Strengthening in Belize, Guyana and S aint Lucia. The activity 
provided assistance for countries to upgrade their legislation in the areas of plant and animal 
health, food safety and fisheries. In each country existing legislation has been reviewed and 
a series of more than ten stakeholder meeting s have been conducted from Oct ober 2021– 
February  2022.  
o Belize – Regulations for a Poultry Health Bill and review and provide guidance on updating 
the Aquatic Animal Health Bill.  
o Guyana  - Update the Fisheries Bill and develop a General Plant Health Regulat ion, and 
Crops and Livestock Registration, Identification, and Traceability Bill . 
o Saint Lucia – Regulations for Plant Health and Animal Health Bills.  
3  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
3.1  Expanding knowledge on the magnitude of pesticide residues in crops  
3.1.  IICA, together with t he Fundación de Usos Menores , continues to carry out studies on the 
magnitude of pesticide residues in crops. Said project is being implemented in Costa Rica, Panama, 
Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and it is hoped to expand this coverage to new countries, cro ps, pests 
and pesticides, thus expanding the capacity development of Latin American countries in the 
preparation of these studies, as well as increasing the necessary information before the Codex 
Alimentarius to establish new MRLs. In the short term, it is  expected to support the Fundación de 
Usos Menores in the preparation of a workshop in the Latin American and Caribbean region to 
establish a new prioritization process and thus be able to advance further in these important trials.  
3.2.  With these initiatives, IICA supports its member countries in association with international 
organizations and cooperating countries in improving regulatory frameworks, the technical capacities 
of its officials and supporting the work generated in multilateral forums.  
3.2  Technical C ooperation Actions on the Implementation of the "One Health" Concept  
3.3.  IICA supported the process of incorporating the "One Health" concept in the activities of the 
United Nations Food Systems Summit, including the production of a conceptual document  and the 
implementation of the independent dialogue "One Health Approach and International Trade: Basic 
elements for the transformation of food systems". The dialogue focuse d on understanding how One 
Health, including soil health and international trade, can contribute to the transition to more 
sustainable food systems. With the involvement of 86 people, discussion and critical thinking were 
encouraged regarding integrated ap proaches (one health, soil health) and international trade.  
3.4.  For the Andean Region, national and regional priorities were determined and potential areas of 
work were identified for 2022. Funded by IICA, five national meetings, two regional workshops and 
26 conferences with the participation of 900 people were held with the participation of public and 
private institutions from the public health, environment and agriculture sectors. Results were 
published as "Fortalecimiento de los servicios SAIA en la Región Andina (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, 
Perú y Venezuela) incorporando la aplicación práctica del concepto de Una Salud ". 
3.5.  Within the framework of an IICA funded Technica l Cooperation Action (ACT) called "Defense 
against future zoonotic outbreaks in the Americas: evaluation and reduction of zoonotic risks in wet 
markets", two risk assessments were generated for Mexico and Brazil, as well as a proposal for a 
regulatory guid ance and training for Brazil.  G/SPS/GEN/1995  
 
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  3.3  African Swine Fever  
3.6.  Within the framework of the GFTADs, IICA has been leading training actions for the prevention 
of African Swine Fever 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 (OIE, FAO, CVP, CAN, CAFHSA, CaribVET, OIRSA, USDA, COPEG).  
3.7.  To date, five webinars have been held with a total participatio n of approximately 800 people 
from more than 25 countries. In compliance with Inter American Board of Agriculture Resolution 
535, actions were carried out to strengthen the official veterinary services as one of the priorities of 
the program, specifically in relation to strengthening the technical capacities of the official veterinary 
services; risk management and communication; as well as updating and improving emergency plans. 
The virtual course on transboundary diseases and ASF developed with the support  of USDA/APHIS 
and Iowa State University stands out, as well as the four virtual courses for the Central, Andean, 
Southern and Caribbean Regions, where more than 500 professionals were trained.  
3.8.  For 2022, ASF training actions have already begun with the fi rst webinar of the year, on ASF 
compensation mechanisms and policies, with the experience of Spain, Africa, Asia and the Dominican 
Republic with its current outbreak.  
3.9.  Webinars have already been planned for the next semester of the year on topics such as, 
emergency actions in the event of confirmation of African swine fever, legislation and contingency 
plans in ASF, risk and crisis communication.  
3.4  Antimicrobial Resistance  
3.10.   IICA, in partnership with the FAS/USDA, has been working on the development of agri -food 
and agricultural surveillance plans on AMR for various countries of the Americas and the Caribbean. 
To date, technical assistance has been provided in the development of their plans to Brazil, Ecuador, 
Chile, Jamaica, Belize, Costa Rica, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.  
3.11.   Likewise, IICA has dedicated itself to providing technical cooperation in the implementation 
of AMR surveillance plans, as well as the development and implementation of pilot projects in AMR 
surveillance, through a twinning project whic h is based on technical advice to the countries on 
diagnostic issues, interpretation of results, development of pilot plans for AMR surveillance and 
certification of laboratories to develop diagnostic capabilities for AMR. At the same time, a virtual 
cours e has been developed on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute ( CLSI) laboratory 
standards regarding the diagnosis and interpretation of antimicrobial resistance results.  
3.12.   Finally, several focus -forward seminars have been developed in which, as a resul t, action 
plans have been obtained for the private sector in the development of antimicrobial resistance 
interventions in a consensual manner with the different public and private agencies that help mitigate 
the impact of RAM in the primary sector.  
For fur ther 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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