G/SPS/GEN/1766  
 
10 March  2020 
(20-1867) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
INFORMATION ON SPS -RELATED ACTIVITIES OF  THE INTERNATIONAL T RADE CENTRE 
(ITC)  
COMMUNICATION FROM ITC PERIOD COVERED: 1 OCTOBER 2019 – 1 MARCH 2020   
The following communication, received on 9 March  2020, is being c irculated at the request of 
the International Trade Center . 
 
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The International Trade Centre is continuing its efforts to assist enterprises to meet technical 
requirements. An update of selected SPS -related activities of interest to the WTO Members is 
provided below . 
 
1  PROJECTS  
1.1  Guinée: Programme d'appui à l'intégration socio -économique des jeunes - INTEGRA 
(August 2018 - August 2022/ Donor: European Union)  
1.1.  This project is a joint initiative of the European Union  and the Government of Guinea to 
contribute to the prevention and minimization of irregular migrations by assisting Guinea 's economic 
development through support to socio -professional insertion of youth and reintegration of returning 
migrants.  
1.2.  Regional sensitization campaign on quality and food safety (28 Oct -7 Nov ember  2019 and 
13-24 Jan uary 2020): Amongst activities aimed at youth -oriented entrepreneurship initiatives, a 
sensitization campaign on the theme of "Quality: Strategy for youth of Guinea " was carried out by 
a team of trained trainers.  As a part of this campaign, a team of 20 trainers comprised of 
representatives of quality related institutions, export promotion agencies, and private SMEs, 
conducted a series of workshops in 8 different regions, sensitizing 290 micro, small, and 
medium -sized enterprises ' representatives on the advantages and methods of quality and food 
safety. Sets of posters and booklets were developed in French language, and widely disseminated 
as part of this campaign.  
1.2  Sudan: Supporting Sudan 's Accession to the WTO and  related trade policy reforms 
(Mar 2019 - Feb 2020/Donor Government of Japan)  
1.3.  This project aims at WTO compliant reforms, and progress taken towards WTO Membership, 
contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and 
decent work for all.  
1.4.  Pest risk surveillance training for NPPO (19 -23 Jan uary 2020): Amongst activities aimed at 
strengthening SPS Institutions, the National Plant Protection Directorate of Sudan, 25 relevant 
officers were trained on pest ris k analysis and surveillance, including update of the regulated pest 
risk in a five -day workshop, in accordance with International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) 
guidelines and methodologies. As per request from the NPPO, cases related to fruit flies, citrus 
canker, trogoderma granarium, and Aspergillus spp. were also discussed.  G/SPS/GEN/1766  
 
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  1.5.  Participants from 12 regions of Sudan were trained and those from regions outside Khartoum 
welcomed and highlighted the importance of taking part in the workshop, stating this ha ving been 
their first ever opportunity to do so.  
1.3  Support to Facilitation of Trade between CEFTA Parties (January 2017 - February 
2020 / Donor European Union ) 
1.6.  This project was carried out with Germany 's international development agency, GIZ (Deutsche 
Gesell schaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), and aims to increase trade amongst the Central 
European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) parties as a way to boost competitiveness, through actions 
aimed at reducing and eventually removing the most distortive non -tariff measures for a number of 
selected products.  
1.7.  Training on integrated risk -based import controls (10 -12 Dec 2019); Amongst the activities of 
this project, a training workshop was held in Belgrade on "Building an integrated risk -based import 
compliance fra mework: tools for balancing trade facilitation and safety ". Representatives of the 
SPS regulatory agencies of seven  countries were present at the training which presented 
methodologies and engaged participants in exercises to apply those methodologies. The  specific 
topics covered were: Introduction to Risk Management and context setting, Risk management in 
regulatory frameworks: setting regulatory requirements and compliance procedures, and Risk 
management in import compliance: addressing the risk of non -compliance.  
1.4  EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme - MARKUP  
(July 2018 - July 2022/Donor European Union ) 
1.8.  This EU -financed project aims to contribute to the economic development of the EAC region 
(Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda), with the specifi c objective to improve market 
access of agro -industrial crop and horticultural sectors to the European Union , and among the five 
EAC partners. The selected products are avocado, cocoa, coffee, spices and tea . 
1.9.  Implementation of Global  G.A.P. among avocado p roducers in Kenya, and Tanzania 
(June  2019-December 2020):  Following a diagnostic assessment, nine Tanzanian avocado producer 
groups (comprising a total of 446 farmers) affiliated to exporting companies, are being assisted in 
the implementation of Global  G.A.P. towards certification, in order to improve their access to 
EU markets. Producer groups have been training on good agricultural practices, good hygiene 
practices, and requirements of the said standard. Quality Management Systems have been 
developed an d quality manuals prepared. Soil, water and product testing are ongoing. At the request 
of the partners, a Swahili translation of the related Global  G.A.P. standard is being carried out 
in partnership with Global  G.A.P. offices.  
1.10.   On similar lines as above, support to eight Kenyan avocado producer groups has commenced 
in February 2020.  
1.5  Burundi Market Access Upgrade Programme -MARKUP  
(July 2018 – June 2022/ Donor European Union ) 
1.11.   This project aims to enhance quality infrastructure services with particular focus on its support 
to coffee and tea sectors. Following an assessment of seven testing laboratories 11 lots of equipment 
(240 items) have been procured and are being delivered t o the beneficiaries.  
1.6  Myanmar Trade -Related Assistance (Arise Plus – Myanmar)  
(July 2019 - June 2023 / Donor European Union ) 
1.12.   The ARISE Plus project aims at building i nclusive and sustainable trade growth in Myanmar  
through s upport to  MSMEs in selected value chains (component 1), enhancing food safety and 
SPS compliance (component 2) and t rade policy formulation and implementation  (component 3). 
The project 's inception phase has started in August 2019 and ending in February 2020. 
Under  component 2 a number of activities in the area of food safety and SPS have been completed, 
such as design of awareness -raising on standards and SPS campaign, development of a draft booklet 
on Managing quality in Myanmar, laboratory assessment, awareness talks on EU regulations fo r 
import and export. Further support to implement the National Residue Monitoring Plan for export to G/SPS/GEN/1766  
 
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  the European Union  was provided with also training to inspectors, beekeepers and processors to 
comply with EU  regulations.  
1.13.   The ARISE Plus project with its component on SPS will build synergies with ARISE+Regional, 
the other ITC ongoing projects and their related quality and SPS components . The projects are:  
Inclusive tourism development with focus on Kayah state (consolidation) & Tanintharyi (extension) 
(NTF IV), funded by the Netherlands Trust Fund; Myanmar Trade and Investment Project (TIP) 
funded by DFID; Myanmar: Upgrading horticulture supply and sustainable tourism to develop 
business linkages, UN Cluster on trade and productive capacity - funded by Swis s State Secretariat 
for Economic Affairs (SECO) trust fund).  
1.7  Afghanistan: Trade -related support assistance (August 2016 – extended to 
March  2020 /Donor European Union)  
1.14.   This project aims to strengthen human and institutional capacities in trade policy, strat egy 
formulation and implementation, including quality management and SPS measures. The Ministry of 
Industry and Commerce (MoIC) is the main counterpart . Beneficiaries include Ministry of Agriculture, 
Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), Ministry of Health (MoP H), National Standards Body (ANSA) and 
relevant sector associations.  
1.15.   Technical support for laboratories has been provided by an international expert in the month 
of November 2019, a number of awareness -raising metrology -related events took place in 
Februar y 2020, including upgrading of the metrology lab and purchase of related equipment.  
1.8  Tajikistan: Enabling market access for agricultural products through improved food 
safety system (March 2018 - February 2021 STDF - PG-447)  
1.16.   The goal of the project is to im prove export competitiveness of Tajik SMEs and food safety 
through better use of agri -chemicals and veterinary medicines with focus on honey and apricot 
sectors. It enhances high value market access for Tajik agri -food producers and processors and 
increase s the level of safety of Tajik domestic food by reducing the risk of contamination and 
improving the systems of control and monitoring of agri -chemicals and veterinary medicines.  
1.17.   ITC has trained 30 Tajik honey and apricot sector experts on topics of Good Agricultural 
Practices (GAP), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), EU market 
access requirements as well as harvesting and post -harvest technology. The pool of advisers will be 
cascading the knowledge and content of the trai ning to final beneficiaries, i.e. farmers, producers 
and processors of honey and apricots in three regions of Tajikistan.  
1.18.   The project has supported Tajikistan to set up a Task Force for preparation of a 
National  Residue Monitoring Plan (NRMP) a pre -requisi te for accessing the EU market for honey. 
It is expected that Tajikistan will submit the plan in March 2020 for the first time.  
1.9  SYMST: Systematic Mechanism for Safer Trade  (LAO PDR Component)  
(December 2018 – October 2021/Donor European Union)  
1.19.   The overall objective of the project  is to improve food safety through better governance . 
The project aims to strengthen ing the regulatory framework for control of plant health and pesticides 
in the fruits and vegetable sector and other plant  products  through the application of norms and 
standards and improve market access.  In Lao PDR the identification phase was completed and in 
January 2020 a technical workshop validated the findings, the target sector s, regions and markets 
(watermelon  in Luang Namtha for exp ort to China; rice in Vientianne for export to the European 
Union  and chili and basil  in Pakxe for export to the European Union ), the plan of action to address 
the main SPS identified problems.  
1.20.   The project was officially launched on 29  January 2020. A plan  of action to address the 
problems was agreed with stakeholders.  G/SPS/GEN/1766  
 
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  For more information, please contact:  
Ludovica Ghizzoni , ITC Adviser on Export Quality Management  
Tel:  +41 22 730 06 38  
Fax:  +41 22 730 05 76  
E-mail: ghizzoni@intracen.org   
 
Khemraj Ramful , ITC Senior Adviser on Export Quality Management  
Tel:  +41 22 730 04 87  
Fax:  +41 22 730 05 76  
E-mail: ramful@intracen.org   
 
ITC EXPORT QUALITY MANAGEMENT  
Website : www.intracen.org/eqm   
Twitter :  www.twitter.com/ITCstandards   
 
 
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