G/SPS/GEN/1743  
 
31 October 2019  
(19-7337) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
ACTIONS AIMED AT THE  IMPLEMENTATION OF T HE WTO AGREEMENT  
ON SANITARY AND PHYT OSANITARY MEASURES  
INFORMATION SUBMITTE D BY THE INTER -AMERI CAN INSTITUTE  
FOR COOPERATION ON A GRICULTURE (IICA)  
The following communication, received on 28 October 2019, 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 the activities they have carried out to pro mote 
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 relevant to the work of this Committee.  
1  SUPPORT FOR MULTILATER AL FORUMS ASSOCIATED  WITH SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASUR ES 
1.1  Private Sector Virtual Codex colloquium  
1.1.  A virtual Codex colloquium on issues covered by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) 
was held on 18 October 2019. Private sector  representatives from ten countries participated in the 
event and discussed technical criteria with a view to improving understanding of the issues to be 
covered at the next CCFH meeting in Australia from 4 to 11 October 2019. This is the first time that 
IICA has hosted a colloquium exclusively for representatives of the private sector. The event was 
organized in partnership with the Food Industries Codex Coalition (FICC), which represents over 
70 US food companies, beverage companies and trade associations  keenly interested in the science 
based international standard setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). Once 
again, the event demonstrated how new information and communication technologies make it 
possible to hold events that while c osting little, produce significant results.  
1.2  Face -to-face Codex colloquia  
1.2.  A face -to-face colloquium was held in Brazil from 1 to 3 October  2019. Delegates from 
18 countries discussed issues of strategic importance for the Latin American and Caribbean region 
and Northern region. Participants examined issues that were to be the focus of three upcoming 
meetings: (i) Food hygiene; (ii) Nutrition and foods for special dietary uses; and (iii) Antimicrobial 
Resistance.  
1.3  Support for participation in C odex Alimentarius meetings  
1.3.  In the second half of this year, IICA will provide support through a competitive fund to facilitate 
participation in the meetings of the Codex Committees on Food Hygiene; Nutrition and Foods for 
Special Dietary Uses; and the meet ing of the Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on 
Antimicrobial Resistance. Latin American and Caribbean countries participated in this fund.  G/SPS/GEN/1743  
 
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  1.4  Virtual coordination sessions  
1.4.  The support that IICA provides to countries of the Codex Coordinating Committe e for Latin 
America and the Caribbean (CCLAC) in the area of communication and coordination includes, prior 
to each Codex meeting, the provision of a virtual communication platform to enable coordination 
between the countries.  
1.5  Workshops and courses  
1.5.  In Cost a Rica, IICA hosted a workshop on scientific justification issues arising from the 
application of the WTO SPS Agreement. Representatives of nearly twenty countries attended the 
event organized in partnership with USDA and with the valued support of the Off ice of the United 
States Trade Representative (USTR). Matters related to the interpretation and practical 
implementation of the WTO SPS Agreement provisions related to risk assessment and determination 
of the appropriate level of protection by member count ries were examined in depth by countries 
delegates to the WTO SPS Committee and SPS experts. Practical examples on the application of the 
WTO SPS Agreement on the proper definition of maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides and 
measures applied to the control of antimicrobial resistance were also explored in the workshop. 
Considering the positive feedback received from participants, other editions of the event will be 
considered.  
2  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
2.1  International standards and regulations in regard to SPS measures  
2.1.1   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 will host the 4th edition of its Strategy Session 
organized in partne rship and sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). All 
IICA member Countries are invited to send representatives to the Session which will take place in 
San Jose, Costa Rica, 13 -14 November  2019. 
For further information, please cont act Robert Ahern ( robert.ahern@iica.int ). 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)  
Agricultural Health and Food Safety  
http://www.iica.int  
 
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