G/SPS/GEN/1950/Rev.1  
 
7 October 2021 
(21-7550) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
PROPOSED PROGRAMME FOR THEMATIC SESSION ON PROCEDURE  TO 
MONITOR THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION  
TUESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER  2021 
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
COMMUNIC ATION  FROM NEW ZEALAND  
Revision  
The following document , received on 6 October  2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of New Zealand . 
 
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PROPOSED PROGRAMME  
The thematic session will provide an opportunity for WTO Members to exchange views and review 
progress with international harmoni zation. The WTO SPS Agreement encourag es Members to 
harmoni ze their measures , to the maximum extent possible , with the standards, guidelines and 
recommendations established by the relevant international standard -setting  bodies. Relevan t 
international standard -setting  bodies are interested in understanding the  extent to which their 
standards and related texts  are used . The SPS Committee has a role in monitoring the process of 
international harmoni zation in close collaboration with the re levant international standard -setting 
bodies . 
This thematic session will focus on three broad areas:  
1. Relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement and actions taken thus far to monitor the  process 
of international harmoni zation; 
2. The actions and initiatives that Codex, OIE and the IPPC have taken to monitor the use of 
their standards, guidelines and recommendations , and consideration of opportunities for 
coordination between the se standard -setting bodies and the SPS  Committee ; and 
3. Member s' approaches, experiences and challenges with the use of international standards 
at the national and regional levels , and consideration of actions and initiatives to support 
uptake and use of international standards . 
1  RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE SPS AGREEMENT , WORK OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  AND 
RELEVANT DISPUTE SETTLEMENT REPORTS  
Speaker : WTO Secretariat  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion  G/SPS/GEN/1950/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
 2  INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND MONITORING HARMONIZATION  
International standard -setting bodie s - their priorities and interest ; their initiatives to monitor the 
implementation of international  standards, guidelines and recommendations ; and the financial, 
technical, and human resources required , as well as the support provided to Members to meet the 
harmonization provisions of the S PS Agreement . 
Speakers:  
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ OIE  
▪ IPPC  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion  
3  REGIONAL  INITATIVES  
Regional/cross border cooperation and regional  or economic bodies  which are currently pursuing 
harmonization of SPS measures . 
Speakers :  
▪ OIRSA , to present on the preparation of the Harmonized regional guide to good risk -based 
agricultural practices (Speaker name and title TBC ). 
Followed by Q&A session and discussion  
4  NATIONAL INITATIVES  
Member s - share their technical  approach es and experience s with regard to harmonizing with  
international standards and challenges face d when measures are harmoni zed. 
Speakers :  
▪ Ms Edith Villanueva Huamán , Food Safety expert, General Directorate of Environmental 
Health and Food Safety (DIGESA) , Peru.  Harmonization of the national regulatory framework 
with Codex standards and guidelines, and other regulations . 
▪ Mr Sam Bishop , Head of International Plant Health Policy and Risk Co-ordination, 
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affai rs (Defra ), United  Kingdom . Utilizing 
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures to shape national legislation and decision -
making processes . 
▪ Canada , Speaker name and title TBC  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion  
5  CLOSING REMARKS  
 
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