G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
16 February  2024 
(24-1417) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN 20 24: 
GENERAL INFORMATION, SELECTION PROCESS  
AND APPLICATION FORM  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
Revision  
1.  The Secretariat of the WTO plans to organize a number of specific technical assistance activities 
on the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures ( SPS Agreement ) 
in 2024. These activities include: the SPS e -Learning Course, national SPS seminars, a thematic 
SPS workshop, regional SPS  workshops2, other S PS workshops, and a n SPS Transparency 
Champions Course .3 
2.  These activities will primarily focus on the provisions of the SPS Agreement , implementation 
matters and the latest discussions taking place in the SPS Committee .4 The overall objective of the 
SPS technical assistance activities is to enhance the knowledge and expertise of government officials 
from WTO developing country Members and Observers, so they can better understand and 
implement the SPS Agreement , benefit from its provisions, and strengthen their capacity to engage 
in the work of the SPS Committee . For additional information on technical assistance activities 
related to the SPS Agreement , please consult the WTO website at http://www.wto.org/sps/ta . 
3.  This document provides detailed information about SPS -specific WTO technical assistance 
activities planned for 202 4, including information on dates, and where applicable, eligibility and 
selection criteria of participants, instructions for submission of applications, deadlines and 
pre-requisites when required.  
4.  This document is structured according to the different types of SPS -specific technical assistance 
activities provided by the WTO:  
• e-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement  
• National SPS Seminars  
• Thematic SPS Workshop  
• Regional SPS Workshops  
• Other SPS Workshops  
• SPS Transparency Champions Course  
 
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 Regional SPS workshops will be organized in 20 24 upon request from regional organizations . 
Please  refer to additional details in Section 4  of this document.  
3 In addition to these SPS -specific technical assistance activities, t he WTO offers general training 
courses where the SPS Agreement  is taught, such as Introduction Courses for Least -Developed Countries, 
Regional Trade Policy Courses and Advanced Trade Policy Courses.  
4 The SPS Committee  is scheduled to meet three times in 2 024: 20-22 March; 26-28 June ; and 
13-15 Novem ber (also see document G/SPS/GEN/2117 ). Informal meetings of the SPS Committee  and other 
SPS-related workshops /thematic sessions  might be scheduled during the weeks when the SPS Committee  
meetings take plac e. These dates are subject to change.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  5.  The structure, content, target audience, pre -requisites, exercises and materials of these 
SPS-specific activities will follow the WTO Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS).5 Therefore, 
each activity is identified according to a scale ranging from "Level 1" (the least advanced, 
introductory activities) to "Level 3" (the most advanced, in -depth training activities). 
This measurement will, inter alia, assist in making candidates aware of the expected level of the 
activity before they apply, and facilitate the Secretariat's assessment of whether a candidate's profile 
and experience match the level of the ac tivity when carrying out the selection process. This will 
ultimately help ensure that the participants in a particular activity are able to most effectively follow 
and contribute to the discussions, and that they have a harmonized level of understandin g of 
the SPS Agreement . Further information on the WTO PLS and a table with the level of each of 
the SPS-specific technical assistance activities can be found in Annex I . 
1  E-LEARNING COURSE ON THE SPS AGREEMENT  
Level of this activity : 1    3 
6.  The WTO offers an e-Learning Course Series on the SPS Agreement  (SPS e-Learning Course)  
comprising four interactive courses:  
a. SPS Course Series 1  - Overview of the SPS Agreement  and Committee;  
b. SPS Course Series 2 - The SPS Agreement  and Science;  
c. SPS Course Series 3 - Trade Facilitating Operational Provisions of the SPS Agreement ; 
d. SPS Course Series 4 - Implementation, Administration and Enforcement.  
7.  The online course  series is freely accessible at all times via t he WTO  e-Learning Platform 
(https://www.learning.wto.org ). Each course of the series includes a final exam and a 
WTO certification upon its successful completion. Participants who successfully complete the 
four courses of the series receive in addition a "Specialization Award".  
8.  Successful completion of the SPS e -Learning Courses (in any of the WTO working languages) 
is normally a pre-requisite or recommendation for participation in SPS technical assistance activities.  
However, successful completion of the SPS e-Learning Course does not guarantee  selection for 
SPS-related training events. Government officials who have already successfully completed 
the SPS e-Learning Course, in any of the available languages, are not required to undertake it again.  
9.  Governmen t officials from eligible6 developing WTO Members and Observers wishing to enrol in  
the SPS e-Learning Course s must: 
a. Create an account on the WTO e -Learning Programme: the online registration 
is available at https://www.learning.wto.org ; and 
b. Submit the Nomination Form:  participants wishing to have full access to the e -Learning 
programme (i.e., access to course exams and certification) must be nominated by their 
government authorities. The nomination form is available for download on the e -Learning 
platform ( https://www.learning.wto.org ) in the participant's Dashboard upon log in. 
The completed nomination form, duly signed and stamped by the candidate's government 
authorities, must be submitted  (i.e. uploaded on the WTO e -Learning platform) 
to complete the candidate's registration process.  
 
5 The primary aim of the PLS is to promote higher levels of learning and to encourage the development 
of participants ' autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long -lasting human and institutional 
capacity of beneficiary countries to participate most effectively in the rules -based multilateral training system.  
6 Eligible participants are government officials f rom WTO Members and Observers who are beneficiaries 
of WTO Technical Assistance  and who are not subject to WTO Administrative Measures. The WTO e -Learning 
programme is also freely accessible to the public (non -eligible participants) on a self -study basis; 
these  participants have access to the e -Learning courses but not to the course exams and certification.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  10.  For further information and help about the registration process for the SPS e-Learning Course , 
the WTO e -Learning team  can be contacted at  elearning@wto.org . Please also consult 
the WTO e-Learning  Quick Guide , available in English, French and Spanish.  
2  NATIONAL SPS SEMINARS  
Level of this activity : 1    3 
11.  WTO developing country Members and Observers are entitled to request national seminars with 
a view to address specific training needs on the SPS Agree ment and its implementation. In  this 
regard, the programmes for national seminars are elaborated by the beneficiary country 
in consultation with the WTO Secretariat. It is possible to address both the SPS and TBT Agreements, 
or the SPS Agreement  and the Ag reement on Agriculture  or the Trade Facilitation Agreement , in a 
single national seminar.  
12.  National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) or higher (in -depth, advance 
training) level, depending on the training needs identified by the requesting Member, and the level 
of knowledge and experience of the participants. It is also possible to organize two national activities 
back-to-back for different participants, for example, one at an introductory level and another at 
an advanced level. A national s eminar can also be organized in the form of a targeted training on 
the use of SPS online tools, e.g. online submission of notifications, searching for specific trade 
concerns and/or notifications, receiving notification alerts, etc.  
13.  The Secretariat will ai m to tailor the structure and content of these seminars according to each 
specific request and through consultations with the beneficiary Member during the preparation phase 
of the seminar. In addition, the Secretariat encourages Members to clearly outline  the objectives 
of national seminars in the submitted training requests, in order to allow the Secretariat to respond 
more effectively to the training needs of Members.  
14.  To request a national seminar on the SPS Agreement , Members and Observers must complete 
and submit a Technical Assistance National Request through the Technical Assistance Management 
System, which is available through the weblink  https://tams.wto.org .7 
15.  The Technical Assistance National Request must be submitted along with an official letter  of 
request by the  contact point to the WTO (e.g. mission in Geneva) , addressed to the Director of 
the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperat ion (ITTC). The request and the official letter should 
be submitted online via the weblink  https://tams.wto.org . 
16.  The Secretariat encourages Members and Observers to submit their request s for national 
SPS seminars as early as possible (preferably in the first half of the year) to ensure proper 
coordination and preparation for these activities.8 
3  THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP  
Level of this activity: 1    3 
17.  The Secretariat will organize a thematic SPS workshop on transparency , to be held in Geneva, 
Switzerland. The workshop will take place on Monday, 18 March and Tuesday, 19 March 2024 , 
immediately prior to the SPS  informal and formal Committee meetings to be held during the same 
week.  
18.  The workshop aims to  enhanc e the implementation of SPS transparency provisions  by bringing 
together officials from WTO Members and Observers to engage in a technical discussion on 
SPS transparency -related work, and to exchange experiences on the use of online transparency 
tools, incl uding the ePing SPS&TBT Platform . The workshop , open to participation by WTO  Members 
 
7 The system is available in the three WTO working languages, English, French and Spanish. 
Login  usernames and passwords are the same as for the WTO web site. WTO Members must connect using their 
WTO credentials through the WTO sign in button on https://tams.wto.org  
8 While every effort will be made to accommodate the requests of Members  and Observers, 
the Secretariat cannot guarantee that it will have the necessary resources to undertake  all national seminars 
requested during the year.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  and Observers, will be of particular interest to government officials in charge of the implementation 
of the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement, i.e. SPS national notification authorities and 
enquiry points.  
19.  The WTO Secretariat will be in a posit ion to sponsor the participation of 30 government officials 
in this workshop. The Governments of Members and Observers to the WTO, eligible to benefit from 
training and technical cooperation activities, were invited to present one or two officials for 
consideration in the selection process. In this regard, an invitation letter with the application form 
had been distributed to eligible technical assistance beneficiaries through their WTO representation. 
Information on the selection process and pre -requisites  was made available  through  
the WTO Technical Assistance Management System .9 
20.  A draft programme for this workshop was circulated in document G/SPS/GEN/2192  on 
19 December  2023. The Secretariat will circulate a final version of the programme closer to the date 
of the workshop . A dedicated webpage for the  workshop is available on the WTO website : 
WTO | SPS Committee Thematic Workshop on Transparency . 
4  REGIONAL SPS WORKSHOPS  
Level of this activity: 1    3 
4.1  Overview  
21.  The WTO Secretariat organizes regional workshops on the SPS Agreement  with the purpose of 
making participants fully aware of the WTO SPS Agreement , its implementation, and the possible 
implications at the regional and national levels.  Funding is available through the Doha Development 
Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) for these workshops.  
22.  Regional workshops also serve as an opportunity for government officials working on 
SPS matters in different developing countries to establish contact with their counterparts in ot her 
developing countries of the region, facilitating the exchange of information and the sharing of best 
practices related to the implementation of the SPS Agreement . 
23.  These regional workshops may include r epresentatives from Codex, IPPC and WOAH  as resource 
persons contributing their knowledge and experience in their areas of expertise. In addition, 
relevant  international organizations, international and regional development institutions and 
organizations, as well as other technical assistance or ganizations and bilateral donors involved in 
SPS matters, may be invited to inform participants of their latest activities.  
4.2  Regional SPS Workshops in 20 24 
24.  In order to deliver more effective and tailored regional workshops, the WTO Secretariat will be 
worki ng collaboratively with regional organizations  to specifically address SPS-related  training needs 
identified within regions. Using this approach, the WTO Secretariat will schedule  regional 
SPS workshops in 2024 upon request from regional organizations.10 
25.  To request a regional workshop on the SPS Agreement , regional organizations (or a Member in 
conjunction with a regional organization ) must submit an official letter indicating the purpose and 
expected outcome of the workshop, their expected contribution , as well as  the proposed dates  and 
venue . This formal request should be addressed to the ITTC Director and sent by  e-mail to 
ittcregionaldesk@wto.org . 
 
9 The SPS Committee decided at its November 2023 meeting to organize this workshop in March 2024 . 
The a pplication/selection process, conducted during the period December 2023 to January  2024, is now closed.  
10 While every effort will be made to accommodate the requests of regional organizations , the 
Secretariat cannot guarantee that it will have the necessar y resources to undertake  all regional workshops  
requested during the year.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  26.  Regional SPS workshops that are requested during the year will be made available on 
the WTO website at http://www.wto.org/sps/ta . Programmes, pre -requisites and selection criteria 
will be defin ed for each requested activity.  
5  OTHER SPS WORKSHOPS  
27.  The WTO Secretariat will participate in other SPS technical assistance activities at the request 
of other organizations, where possible.  
6  SPS TRANSPARENCY CHAMPIONS COURSE  
Level of this activity: 1    3 
6.1  Overview  
28.  An SPS Transparency Champions Course  will be held in English from September 202 4 to 
April/June 2025. It will comprise an initial in -person element, the implementation of an action plan, 
and a follow -up component at the end of this time period.  
29.  The course will be  comprised of sessions and activities  related to the implementation of 
the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement. It will offer selected government officials 
an opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge and practical skills to implement as well as  benefit 
from the WTO's SPS transparency framework.  
30.  At the time of their application for this course, candidates will be asked to provide preliminary 
ideas for an action plan  with a view to improving the SPS transparency framework in their 
countries /territories . 
6.2  Selection Process  
31.  The Secretariat will select participants for the  SPS Transparency Champions Course . The target 
audience for this course are government officials  holding direct responsibilities in the implementation 
of the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement , particularly  from National Notification 
Authorities  (NNAs)  and/or Enquiry Points (NEPs), who: 
a. possess a n understanding  of the provisions and structure of the WTO, and the principles 
and provisions of the SPS Agreement ; 
b. are highly moti vated  to scale up the transparency framework in their countries ; 
c. are endorsed and supported by their respective Ministry; and  
d. are fluent in oral and written English . 
32.  All candidates are strongly encouraged to  complete the WTO SPS e -Learning Course by the time 
of their application. See Section 1  regarding enrolment in the e -Learning Course.  In addition, 
candidates must be government offic ials at the time of applying for the course and during the course.  
33.  Candidates will be selected using criteria such as the fulfilment of pre -requisites, prior selection 
of other candidates from the Member, as well as balance among the selected candidates in  terms of 
region and gender.  
34.  The G overnments of Members and Observers to the WTO, eligible to benefit from training and 
technical cooperation activities, will be invited to present officials for consideration in the selection 
process in May/June 202 4. In this regard, a n invitation letter with the application form will be 
distributed to eligible technical assistance  beneficiaries through their WTO representation.  
Please  consult the information in Annex II . 
35.  Other a dministrative and logistical information  will be provided in due course to the selected 
candidates.  
 G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  ANNEX I  
PROGRESSIVE LEARNING STRATEGY1 
SPS-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) ACTIVITIES  
1.  In order to respond to the need for greater coherence and complementarity in WTO 
capacity -building, ITTC has developed a progressive strategy to promote higher levels of learning 
and encourage the development of participants ' autonomy . This is with a view to build and sustain 
the long -lasting human and institutional capacity of beneficiary countries  to participate mo re 
effectively in the rules -based multilateral tra ding system.  
2.  In this regard, two broad categories of participants in WTO capacity -building have been 
identified:  
a. "Generalists"  are government officials who will need a broad knowledge of the WTO to 
conduct their work, such as capital -based officials dealing with WTO issues or delegates 
posted to Geneva missions with gene ral responsibility for WTO affairs;  
b. "Specialists"  are government officials who will require in -depth knowledge in a specific 
area, such as officials working on a specific issue in a particular Ministry in their capital 
(for example, those who are dealing w ith SPS issues).  
3.  Following this strategy, each SPS -specific technical assistance activity has been categorized 
based on a scale of three training levels, ranging from "Level 1" (the least advanced, introductory 
activities) to "Level 3" (the most advanced, in-depth training activities).  
Progressive Learning Strategy  
Level  SPS-specific TA Activity  
2 e-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement2 
2 and 3  National SPS Seminars3 
2 and 3  Thematic SPS Workshop  
2 and 3  Regional SPS Workshops4 
2 and 3 SPS Transparency Champions Course  
 
 
1 Additional information on the WTO's progressive learning strategy (PLS) is available in JOB/TC/7 . 
2 An introduction to the SPS Agreement  is included in the Level 1 e-Learning  Course "Introduction to the 
WTO" . 
3 National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) or higher (in -depth, advance training) 
level, d epending on the training needs identified by the requesting Member, and the level of knowledge and 
experience of the participants. The Secretariat will aim to tailor the structure and content of these seminars 
according to each specific request and through  consultations with the beneficiary Member during the 
preparation phase of the seminar.  
4 The training provided in regional SPS workshops will, in general, be more advanced than the training 
given in national SPS seminars, as it will also focus on regional  challeng es and coordination matters. 
In determining the level of each regional workshop, the Secretariat will take into account the level of 
implementation of the SPS Agreement  by the participating countries (for instance, through participation in the 
SPS Committee , number of notifications, etc.), as well as the overall level amongst the selected candidates.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.14  
 
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  ANNEX II 
SPS TRANSPARENCY CHAMPIONS COURSE  
Title of the 
activity  SPS Transparency Champions Course  (in English ) 
Dates  September 2024  to April /June  2025  
Venue  Geneva, Switzerland  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers  WTO least developed  and developing Members and Observers  
Pre-requisites  Candidates must be government officials  holding direct responsibilities in 
the implementation of the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement , 
particularly from  National Notification Authorities  (NNAs) and/or Enquiry 
Points  (NEPs) ; posses s an understanding of the provisions and structure 
of the WTO, and the principles and provisions of the SPS Agreement;  
be highly motivated to scale up the transp arency framework in their 
countries;  and be endorsed and supported by their respective Ministry . 
Candidates are  also strongly encouraged to  complete the WTO SPS 
e-Learning Course by the time of their application  (see Section 1  regarding 
enrolment in the e -Learning Course ). 
Fluent in oral and written English . 
Application  The G overnments of Members and Observers to the WTO, eligible to 
benefit from training and technical cooperation activities, will be invited to 
present officials for consideration in the selection process in May/June 
2024. 
In this regard, a n invitation letter with the application form will be 
distributed to eligible technical assistance  beneficiaries through their WTO 
representation.  
Results of the 
selection  Selected c andidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July/Aug ust 2024 . 
Administrative and logistical information  will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
 
 
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