G/SPS/GEN/2000  
 
4 March  2022 
(22-2016) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
SADC SECRETARIAT REPORT  ON SPS ACTIVITIES  
SADC REPORT TO THE WTO  COMMITTEE ON  SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
The follow ing communication, received on 3 March  2022, is being circulated at the request of the  
secretariat of the  Southern African Development Community  (SADC).  
 
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1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region consists of 16 member States 
namely Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswat ini, Lesotho , 
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique , Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia 
and Zimbabwe. The region has a population of 345 million people and therefore has a high 
responsibility to meet the international sustainable development goals for the betterment of the lives 
of its citiz ens through safe  intra-SADC and international trade th rough the application of relevant  
international standards.  
1.2.  Plant pests and animal diseases can inadvertently be transported along with  commodities 
thereby threatening the agricultural production and env ironment of the importing country. Food and 
feed may be contaminated with pesticide residues or other chemical toxins. To reduce these risks 
without unduly restricting regional or international trade in food and agro -products, the Sanitary and 
Phytosanitar y (SPS) Annex to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on 
Trade allows SADC member States to adopt harmoni zed or scientifically justified SPS measures. 
This is in line with the implementation of the requirements of the World Trade Orga nization (WTO) 
Agreement on the Application of SPS Measures , the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), 
the World Organisation  for Animal Health (OIE) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).  
2  UPDATES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS ANNEX TO THE SADC PROTOCOL ON 
TRADE  
2.1  Harmoni zation  
2.1.  The SADC secretariat participated in the first 2022 continental level session of National 
Conveners, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and Nutrition focal 
point teams on 2 March 2022. The objectives of the meeting were to: rovide practical inform ation in 
the rolling out of the African Union food systems implementation support mechanism including key 
milestones and timelines; explore key issues (challenges, opportunities) to galvan ise increased 
investments, institutional alignment as well as policy incentives to strengthen local implementation 
capacities within the context of National and Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Strategies/Plans 
and in line with Agenda 2063, Malabo Dec laration and Sustainable Development Goals; and Agree  on 
key components of the next six -months (March to August 2022) implementation support roadmap 
– based -on and driven by country specific needs.  
2.2.  On 28 February 2022, the SADC secretariat collaborated wit h the SADC Business Council and 
GIZ - CESARE in facilitating a virtual consultative meeting to discuss differences on health attestation 
requirements in SADC member States. The purpose of the meeting was to enable seamless 
movement of food commodities acro ss borders and avoid unnecessary costs incurred due to the 
variations in market requirements as required by the health attestation certificates. The meeting G/SPS/GEN/2000  
 
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  was attended by SPS regulatory authorities and private sector business entities involved in 
cross-border food trade.  
2.2  Administration  
2.3.  The SADC secretariat facilitated the Thirteenth SADC SPS Coordinating Committee meeting 
held on 13 –15 December 2021. The Committee discussed the implementation of SPS measures in 
the context of facilitating safe intra-regional and facilitation of international trade in line with the 
WTO SPS Agreement and the relevant international standards setting bodies.  
3  UPDATES ON EU SUPPORTED TRADE FACILITATION PROGRAMME S 
3.1  The SADC -EU Trade Facilitation Programme  (TFP)  
3.1.  The Trad e Facilitation Programme focuses its attention on the SADC Protocols on Trade and 
Trade in Services to support implementation of the EU - SADC Economic Partnership Agreement 
(EPA). The TFP addresses regional implementation issues in the areas of: TBT and S PS measures; 
Customs technical assistance support; and the EU -SADC EPAs.  
3.2.  During the period under review, the Programme has launched the following short -term 
consultancies:  
3.1.1   Consultancy Service to capacitate SADC Cooperation in Standards (SADCSTAN) 
Technical  Committee Members on the use of Information and Communications Technology 
(ICT) tools for the harmonization of standards and alignment of Regional/National 
Standards with international standards launched on 16 December 2021  
3.3.  This assignment focused on capa citating standards personnel and relevant stakeholders on ICT 
tool(s) that can be used to further the work of standards harmonization. Such competences are 
more necessary and relevant in light of the Covid -19 pandemic to expedite the development of 
standar ds at national, regional and international levels. This exercise was commissioned to ensure 
that the standards harmonization work is not disrupted with the prevailing restrictions on movement 
of people. It will contribute to the improvement of stakeholders ’ participation in standardization work 
and reduce the cost of standards harmonization process, as no travel costs will be required.  
3.1.2   Consultancy Service to Train Conformity Assessment Bodies (including metrology 
facilities) that Operate in the SADC Industr ialization Priority Areas on ISO/IEC 17020 
launched on 13 December 2021  
3.4.  The purpose of the assignment was to train conformity assessment personnel in SADC member 
States in order to capacitate them to do their work competently. The training will be focused on 
ISO/IEC 17020. Competent conformity assessment bodies will provide the necessary support to 
"Factory SADC" while the SADC Industrialization Strategy Action Plan is being implemented.  
3.1.3   Facilitated capacity -building training workshops for Members of the SA DC TRLC on 
the Principles of Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) from 10 January to 11 February  
2022  
3.5.  The purpose of the training workshops was to enhance skills of regulators in the SADC member 
States for developing technical regulations that are balanced a nd would not cause unnecessary 
barriers to trade.  
Report by: Mr. Chiluba Mwape  
SADC Key Expert on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
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