G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.15/Add.1  
 
16 June 2020  
(20-4252) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
  
SPS TECHNICAL ASSIST ANCE AND TRAINING AC TIVITIES  
1 JANUARY  2020 TO 30 JUNE 2020  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
Addendum  
1.  This document provides an update on the SPS technical assistance (TA) and the training activities 
that have been delivered via videoconference by the WTO Secretariat from 1  January 2020 to 
30 June 2020 .2 Due to the COVID -19 pandemic,  the Secretariat has had to review the planned 
technical assistance activities on the Agreement on the Application of San itary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (SPS  Agreement) that were to be delivered in 2020 .3 In this regard, the Secretariat has 
been organizing tailored SPS -related training delivered via videoconference , as the previously 
scheduled in-person activities were not possible during  the identified  period .  
2.  In the first half of 2020, five SPS training activities were undertaken  via videoconference : two 
national training activities on the use of the SPS eAgenda,4 two on the use of the e Ping alert system 
and one in the context of the follow -up of the 2019 Advanced SPS Course.5  
3.  The annexed table identifies, for the period 1 January to 30 June 2020, the type of technical 
assistance activity , its dates , participating countries , language used , and whether representatives 
from the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the World Organi sation for Animal 
Health (OIE), and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat participated in 
the activity.  
 
 
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 Similar to previous years, t he Secretariat will issue at the beginning of 20 21, a revis ion to 
G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.15  detailing the SPS TA activities undertaken for the full period of 2020.  
3 Please see d ocument G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.10  of 3 March 2020  and G/SPS/GEN/997/Re v.10/Add.1  of 
10 June 2020.  In particular, d ocument G/SPS/GEN/997/Re v.10/Add.1  provide s an update on the SPS -specific 
WTO technical assistance activities to be provided by the WTO in 2020 , including  information on  those which 
have been postponed/cancelled and those which will be delivered via videoconference.    
4 The training on the SPS eAg enda was targeted at facilitating Members' use of this online  system to 
submit agenda items for inclusion in the June 2020 SPS Committee meeting agenda. This system was being 
used for the first time ahead of  the June 2020 SPS Committee meeting . It had only previously been used on a 
trial basis by  some Members in the testing phase.  
5 The Advanced SPS Course includes a follow -up activity which is held back -to-back with the June/July 
SPS Committee meeting of the following year. The face -to-face follow -up activ ity was originally planned to be 
held from 17 to 26 June 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland, but had to be postponed. In the interim, the Secretariat 
has organized short virtual sessions with participants.   
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.15/Add.1  
 
- 2 - ANNEX  
SPS TECHNICAL ASSIST ANCE AND TRAINING AC TIVITIES  
(1 JANUARY 2020 TO 3 0 JUNE 2020)6 
__________  
 
6 This table only provides information on the SPS TA acti vities delivered via videoconference during the period 1 January 2020 to 30 June  2020.  For the full table of SPS TA 
activities undertaken within the period 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019, please refer to G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.1 5. Similar to previous years, t he Secretariat will also issue at the 
beginning of 2021, a revis ion to G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.15  which will include the entire list of SPS TA activities undertaken for the period of January to December 2020.  
7 The face -to-face delivery of the Follow -up Session to the Advanced SPS Course was originally pl anned to be held from 17  to 26 June  2020 in Geneva, Switzerland, but had 
to be postponed . In the interim, the Secretariat has organized short virtual sessions with participants.  Year  Region  SPS TA 
Activity  Host  Location  From  To Participants  Participants  Participation of 
representatives from 
the standard -setting 
organizations  Language  
LDCs  Developing  Developed  Codex  OIE IPPC  
2020  Africa  Other 
(Training 
on ePing 
alert 
system ) Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  15/05/2020  15/05/2020  Burundi  Tunisia   2 No No No French  
2020  Latin 
America 
and the 
Caribbean  Other 
(Training 
on ePing 
alert 
system ) Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  19/05/2020  19/05/2020   Colombia, Ecuador,  
Nicaragua   7 No No No Spanish  
2020  Latin 
America 
and the 
Caribbean  National 
Seminar 
(Training 
on SPS 
Committee 
eAgenda ) Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  03/06/2020  03/06/2020   Paraguay   10 No No No Spanish  
2020  North 
America  National 
Seminar 
(Training 
on SPS 
Committee  
eAgenda ) Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  05/06/2020  05/06/2020    United 
States  4 No No No English  
2020  Global  Advanced 
SPS 
Course  
(Mini 
interim 
follow- up 
sessions )7 Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  Virtual 
delivery  
(via video -
conference)  16/06/2020  23/06/2020  Lao People's 
Democratic 
Republic, 
Liberia, 
Mozambique, 
Myanmar, 
Nepal, 
Rwanda, 
Sudan  Bahamas, Belarus, 
Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Brazil, 
Cameroon, China, 
Egypt, India, 
Jordan, Kenya, 
Malaysia, Saint 
Vincent and the 
Grenadines, South 
Africa, Sri Lanka, 
Thailand, Turkey, 
Ukraine   24 No No No English