Update on the STDF to the WTO Committee on Trade and Development  
T
uesday 30 April 2024   
1. T
he STDF Secretariat is pleased to share an update on selected activities and results from
across the STDF's global partnership since the last Committee meeting in February. 2024 is an
important year for the STDF. It marks the 20th anniversary of the estab lishment of the STDF by the
Food and Agriculture Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health, World Health
Organization, World Bank and World Trade Organization. Over this time, the Facility has grown from
a collection of small projects to a respect ed knowledge network and partnership bringing together
diverse organizations, in support of Aid for Trade and the One Health approach.
2. W
e look forward to celebrating the STDF at 20 in 2024 with representatives of STDF founding
partners, donors, other partners as well as public and private sector stakeholders in developingcountries who have all contributed to  the STDF's safe trade partnership that is as relevant today as
ever before.
3. 20
24 is also the final year in the STDF's current five -year Strategy "Safe and Inclusive Trade
Horizons" , and the year in which STDF members will work together to co -develop a new Strategy for
the STDF in the future, building on the findings and recommendations of an ongoing externalprogramme evaluation.
4. T
he key findings and recommendations of the draft evaluation report was presented by the
evaluation company to the STDF Working Group on 22 April 2024. Based on feedback, the evaluation
will be finalized for presentation to the Policy Committee on 12 June. The Strategy developmen t
p
rocess will begin after that, so that the new Strategy can be finalized by the end of 2024 . Given th e
im
portant ongoing work in this Committee, we would be grateful for your insights as part of the
Strategy development process. S ome of you – or your colleagues – will be participating as part of the
consultation with the STDF Working Group in June. We are  exploring other possible opportunities to
seek inputs more widely.
5. I
t is too early to say how and to what extent the new STDF Strategy will change from th e
exi
sting one. The current Strategy highlighted  the importance of emerging trends including growth in
agri- food value chains, jobs in MSMEs, trade facilitation reform, regional integration and
digitalization. These trends clearly remain relevant for the STDF's work moving forward. In addition,we expect there to be increased attention o n: One Health and food systems transformation;
mainstreaming cross -cutting issues related to gender as well as environment, climate change and
biodiversity; and South -South cooperation.
6. A
s you know, t he STDF operates as a knowledge platform and funding mechanism for the
development and implementation of collaborative, innovative safe trade projects. In doing so, theSTDF contribute s to the Aid for Trade 2024 work programme, including with  regard to digitalization,
food security and mainstreaming trade.
7. S
ince 2015, the STDF has supported more than 80 developing and least developed countries.
Over the last year, STDF helped public and private stakeholders in 34 countries to improve foodsafety, animal and plant health measures for trade, strengthen SPS policies and make market access
linkages. Results and lessons from STDF projects in Togo and Cameroon were shared at an STDF
RD/COMTD/AFT/42 
- 3 -event  for International Francophonie day in March, co -organized with COLEAD, the Organisation 
internationale de la Francophonie , Canada and France.  A list of ongoing  STDF  projects  and PPGs  is 
attached to this update .  
8. D
emand for STDF project preparation grants and projects continues to be high, as seen in ove r
1
40 applications in 2023 , and some 40  applications for the Working Group in June. STDF projects
(relatively small in size compared to projects supported by large bilateral donors) are expected to
promote and leverage synergies that drive catalytic SPS improvements and  facilitate safe trade,
regionally and internationally. One such recent example comes from Sri Lanka. Building on th e
s
uccess of the Cinnamon Academy, launched by UNIDO with STDF support, the public and private
sector saw an opportunity to expand the Academy to cover other spices. Work is underway  to
mobilize financing for this initiative.
9. I
n the future, we would also like to see financing for development, leveraged to scale up and
roll out successful approaches piloted under STDF projects, as is already happening on e -SPS
certification. For instance, the STDF is working with the Global Alliance  for Trade Facilitation,
Trademark  Africa and others to roll out ePhyto more widely in Africa. Also, in June, the STDF looks
forward to partner with the International Seed Federation, International Grain Trade Coalition,
Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation and TradeMark Africa on an event on the transformativepotential of digital technologies to improve food production, distribution and access  during the
Global Aid for Trade Review  (the same week as the SPS Committee ). Delegates are encouraged to
attend this event to learn more about the robust public -private partnership s that are driving change
and facilitating safe trade globally .
10. O
n knowledge work, members of STDF's PPP Practitioner Group are co -creatin g a Guide to
promote and expand the adoption of PPP approaches to improve SPS outcomes that benefit thepublic and private sector in developing countries. This Guide will draw experiences and lessons fromrelevant experiences in Africa, Asia and beyond, som e of which will be shared as STDF PPP case
stories. We would be delighted to hear from you in case you may know of any PPP approachesfocused on SPS systems and safe trade in your countries. A form  to share examples is available on
the STDF website .
11. On
 cross -cutting work, efforts are ongoing to mainstream gender in STDF projects building on
the Gender Action Plan , launched on the margins of the SPS Committee in July 2023 . An extern al
STDF assessment on environment, climate change and biodiversity (to be finalized by the summer)
will help us pay more systematic attention to mainstreaming in these areas too for stronger andmore sustainable results. Close collaboration and engagement with STDF partners, donors andothers on mainstreaming has been critical to help us advance in these areas.
12. T
he STDF Annual Report for 2023 – to be published prior to the STDF Working Group meeting
in June – will give a complete update on STDF's work over the past year.
13. Finally, on behalf of the STDF team, I thank delegates for their ongoing trust and engagement .
W
e are also particularly grateful to STDF development partners for their contributions that enable
delivery on the work programme. In 2023, donors generously contributed US$9.7 million to the TrustFund. We very much hope that moving forward with the new  Strategy, and building on the findings
of the external evaluation, we will continue to see this strong support so that the STDF's globalpartnership can continue to catalyse and influence safe trade facilitation that contributes to th
e
SD
Gs and promotes sustainable economic growth, food security and poverty reduction globally .
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- 4 -A
NNEX 1. ONGOING  STDF PROJECT GRANTS 
Code  Title  Beneficiary  Link 
STDF/PG/498  Strengthening Guinea's phytosanitary system  Guinea  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -498  
STDF/PG/517  Strengthening the spice value chain in India 
and improving market access  India  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -517  
STDF/PG/553  Expanding cocoa trade in Papua New Guinea  Papua New 
Guinea  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -553  
STDF/PG/569  Enhancing capacity for food safety 
management in the Kyrgyz fruit and vegetable 
industry  Kyrgyz Republic  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -569  
STDF/PG/577  Improving coordination to support 
management of cadmium levels in cocoa in 
Latin America and the Caribbean  Colombia, 
Ecuador, Peru, 
Trinidad & 
Tobago  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -577  
STDF/PG/611  Promotion of Codex standards and codes of 
practice in the smoked fish sector and 
consequences on food safety in other sectors 
in Mali  Mali  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -611  
STDF/PG/619  Safer spices: boosting food safety and market 
access for the peppercorn value chain  Cambodia, Lao 
PDR, Viet Nam  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -619  
STDF/PG/665  Piloting the use of voluntary Third -Party 
Assurance (TPA) Programme in Africa to 
improve food safety outcomes for public 
health and trade  Mali, Senegal  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -665  
STDF/PG/672  Meeting sanitary standards to improve the 
safety of shellfish in Senegal and boost market 
access Senegal  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -672  
STDF/PG/681  Improving institutional capacity to mitigate 
trade barriers due to high cadmium levels in 
cacao  Colombia, 
Ecuador  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -681  
STDF/PG/682  Piloting the use of Third -Party Assurance (TPA) 
Programme in Central America to improve 
food safety outcomes for public health and 
trade  Belize, Honduras  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -682  
STDF/PG/694  Enhancing Trade Through Regulatory 
Harmonisation and Biopesticide- Based 
Residue Mitigation in the SADC Region  Botswana, Kenya, 
Mozambique, 
South Africa, 
Tanzania, 
Zambia, 
Zimbabwe  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -694  
STDF/PG/716  Improving food safety risk analysis capacity in 
Latin America  Argentina, 
Colombia, Costa 
Rica, Ecuador, 
Honduras, 
Nicaragua, 
Paraguay, Peru  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -716  
STDF/PG/734  Modernizing Bhutan's border management 
ecosystem to facilitate safe agri -food trade Bhutan  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -734  
STDF/PG/751  Strengthening the phytosanitary and food 
safety system in key value chains  Haiti, Dominican 
Republic  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -751  
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- 5 -Code  Title  Beneficiary  Link 
STDF/PG/753  Latin American Pesticide Residue Mitigation 
through the Promotion of Biopesticides  Bolivia, 
Nicaragua, 
Guatemala, 
Honduras, El 
Salvador, 
Argentina, 
Colombia, Costa 
Rica, Dominican 
Republic, 
Ecuador, 
Paraguay, Peru  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -753  
STDF/PG/755  Strengthening phytosanitary compliance and 
partnerships to boost seed trade in the Asia 
Pacific region  Bangladesh, 
Cambodia, Laos, 
Nepal, 
Philippines, 
Vietnam, 
Thailand  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -755  
STDF/PG/759  Ensuring food safety capacity of the pepper 
value chain in Jamaica to access strategic 
export markets  Jamaica  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -759  
STDF/PG/768  Harmonizing the phytosanitary legislative 
framework in Central Africa  Cameroon, 
Central African 
Republic, Chad, 
Congo, Equatorial 
Guinea, Gabon  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -768  
STDF/PG/770  Digitalizing accreditation and conformity 
assessment systems in West Africa  Benin, Burkina 
Faso, Côte 
d'Ivoire, Guinea, 
Guinea Bissau, 
Niger, Mali, 
Senegal, Togo  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -770  
STDF/PG/786  Enhancing aflatoxin management in Ghana's 
maize and groundnuts  Ghana  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -786  
STDF/PG/798  Improving pig biosecurity and African Swine 
Fever (ASF) control in 4 ASEAN countries  Cambodia, Laos, 
Philippines, 
Vietnam  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -798  
STDF/PG/807  Strengthening management of scale insects in 
fresh fruits (papaya, mango, avocado, citrus) 
in East Africa  Burundi, Kenya, 
Uganda  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -807  
STDF/PG/809  Manging invasive potato quarantine pests in 
Eastern and Southern Africa  Burundi, 
Ethiopia, Kenya, 
Lesotho, Malawi, 
Mozambique, 
Rwanda, South 
Sudan, Tanzania, 
Uganda, Zambia, 
Zimbabwe  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -809  
STDF/PG/838  Regional Center for Phytosanitary Intelligence 
of the Andean Community  Bolivia, 
Colombia, 
Ecuador, Peru  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -838  
STDF/PG/842  Piloting the use of Third -Party Assurance 
(vTPA) Programme in East Africa  Rwanda, Uganda  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -842  
STDF/PG/845  Improving SPS compliance to boost Nigeria's 
export capacity  Nigeria  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -845  
STDF/PG/856  Enhancing multilateral e -veterinary 
certification in Latin America and the 
Caribbean  Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -856  
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- 6 -Code  Title  Beneficiary  Link 
STDF/PG/880  Enhancing SPS capacity and market access for 
Grenadian Soursop exports  Grenada  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -880  
STDF/PG/946  Strengthening phytosanitary capacity to 
promote exports of horticulture products from 
Senegal  Senegal  https://standardsfacility.org/PG -946  
ONGOING STDF PROJECT PREPARATION GRANTS (PPGs)  
Code  Title  Beneficiary  Link  
STDF/PPG/733  Piloting the use of P -IMA in the CARICOM region  CARICOM 
countries  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
733  
STDF/PPG/765  An ISO 17025 accredited mobile laboratory for 
food safety testing in the SADC region  Eswatini, 
Lesotho, 
Namibia, South 
Africa  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
765  
STDF/PPG/817  Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) to 
improve the plant health system in Nigeria  Nigeria  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
817  
STDF/PPG/847  Sustainable management of aflatoxins and in 
maize grain using Systems Approach  Uganda  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
847  
STDF/PPG/858  Managing aflatoxin contamination in Asia using 
One Health  Bangladesh, 
Iran, Lao PDR, 
Malaysia, 
Pakistan, 
Philippines, Sri 
Lanka, Thailand  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
858  
STDF/PPG/859  Strengthening Burkina Faso's sesame and cashew 
export capacity  Burkina Faso  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
859  
STDF/PPG/860  Reducing histamines in pole and line caught tuna 
in Indonesia  Indonesia  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
860  
STDF/PPG/869  Enhancing food safety control capacities in Cape 
Verde  Cape Verde  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
869  
STDF/PPG/909  Improving food safety and market access in 
Ghana's spice value chain  Ghana  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
909  
STDF/PPG/921  Scaling up the P -IMA tool in The Gambia  The Gambia  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
921  
STDF/PPG/935  Advancing apiculture for economic development in 
the Pacific Islands  Pacific Islands 
region  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
935  
STDF/PPG/941  Promoting live animal trade and export in Eastern 
Africa  Ethiopia, 
Kenya, Somalia, 
Tanzania, 
Uganda  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
941  
STDF/PPG/945  Evaluating Sanitary and Phytosanitary capacity of 
Ethiopia  Ethiopia  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
945  
STDF/PPG/969  Improving SPS practices in cacao in Cameroon  Cameroon  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
969  
STDF/PPG/970  Improving the implementation of food safety 
standards in Saint Lucia  Saint Lucia  https://standardsfacility.org/PPG -
970  
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