G/SPS/GEN/1785  
 
11 June 2020 
(20-4158) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures   
 
UPDATE ON THE STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
This document provides a brief update on the work of the Standards and Trade Development Facility 
(STDF) since the last  GEN document , circulated on 27 February 2020 . Delegates are encouraged to 
visit the STDF website to view  and learn from STDF activities and projects , download STDF briefing 
notes and other publications , and subscribe to STDF 's mailing list  to receive regular updates on STDF 
work (http://www.standardsfacility.org ). 
1  STDF'S COVID -19 RESPONSE   
1.1.  Since COVID -19 was declared a global pandemic  on 11 March 2020 , the STDF has put in place 
a range of actions, in close cooperation with STDF partners and other members of the partnership, 
to mitigate and manage the risk across STDF's work.  On 30 April, the Secretariat issued a report  
that outlines the types of risks faced and mitigation measures taken across STDF's global platform, 
knowledge work and project portfolio.  The report also supports an exchange of experiences  and 
learning on COVID -19 risk management across STDF project stakeholders.  
1.2.  On 26 May , the STDF organized a webinar , in which  experts from STDF partners shared updates 
on how to facilitate safe trade during COVID -19 across  the areas of food safety, animal and plant 
health , and trade.  In the 90 -minute session, the FAO, OIE, WHO, World Bank Group , WTO, and the 
Codex and IPPC Secretariats shared the latest COVID -19 resources and tools available for 
stakeholders worldwide , while the United Kingdom provided a donor perspective.  Over 250 people 
participated in the webinar.  The Secretariat  created a COVID -19 webpage  where all COVID -19 
information, links and STDF 's report is  available.  
2  STDF WORKING GROUP AND WORK PLAN   
2.1.  The STDF Working Group  was held virtually on 7 April , chaired by Julie Emond from Canada. 
Members elected Tom Heilandt from the Codex Secretariat as vice-chairperson of the Working Group  
in 2020 (and hence chairperson in 2021). Members also welcomed three new developing country 
experts , i.e. Lucy Namu (Kenya), Visoni Timote (Fiji) and  Mirian Bueno (Hon duras). Donors, 
including Canada and Ireland, announced new pledges to the STDF trust fund. Members  approved 
STDF's 2020-2021 Work Plan , outlining planned ac tivities, inputs and outputs  across STDF's global 
platform , knowledge work  and projects.2 The plan is based on  STDF's new strategy  (2020-2024) 
and also includes information on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Communications and the 
Secretariat 's resources .  
2.2.  Members approved three projects , namely  in Mali (promoting food safety in smoked fish, 
benefitting consumers and regional trade ), and in  West Afri ca and Central America (piloting third -
party assurance programmes to improve food safety, health and trade ). Members also approved 
three project preparation grants (PPGs), benefiting Bhutan  (improving border inspection and controls 
to drive biosecurity and  food safety), Egypt (study on setting up a disease -free area to promote 
trade in poultry products ) and the Caribbean (rolling out STDF's P -IMA tool - see section 4 below  - 
to prioritize SPS investments ). Several participants provided updates on SPS -relate d activities and 
 
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 See also the message from WTO's Director General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4c -
LEmQfXQ .  G/SPS/GEN/1785  
 
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  initiatives related to COVID -19. A report  of the Working Group meeting is available on the STDF 
website . 
3  STDF 2019 ANNUAL REPORT  
3.1.   On 11 June , in the context of World Food Safety Day, the STDF published its 2019 Annual 
Report , titled "F acing the future : shaping safe trade outcomes ". The report features how STDF's 
global platform, kn owledge work and projects have delivered practical solutions for the public and 
private sector , using tools and technologies to transform agri -food productivity, meet ing 
international standards, facilitat ing business at borders, access ing regional and glob al markets and 
trading safely . Highlighting emerging trade and development trends , STDF's results are linked to the 
Sustainable Development Goals  - no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well -being, decent work 
and economic growth, and partnerships . The report illustrate s how STDF's work has helped to 
generate jobs, raise incomes and secure more livelihoods , including for women and small businesses . 
4  PRIORITIZING SPS INVESTMENTS FOR MARKET ACCESS: P -IMA 
4.1.  The STDF continue s to help developi ng countries in SPS planning and decision -making through 
application of the P-IMA framework . P-IMA is an evidence -based approach to inform and improve 
SPS pl anning and decision making, including mobilization of additional resources for SPS 
investments.  Co-funded by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) , an STDF project 
(STDF/PG/606 ) is underway to assi st selected COMESA member states to use P-IMA to drive better 
SPS planning and decision -making and to mobilize more resources for SPS capacity building in 
agriculture, environment and trade policy frameworks.  Work is  also on-going to apply the framework 
in Ecuador ( STDF/PPG/709 ). In addition to P-IMA applications supported by the STDF, other 
development partners , including TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and the Intern ational Livestock 
Research Institute (ILRI), are also using the P-IMA framework .  
4.2.  Restrictions on international travel due to COVID -19 have served to highlight the need for 
materials that can be used to undertake remote training in the P -IMA framework. In line with its 
2020-2021 Work Plan, t he STDF initiated work to develop a new P -IMA Training Facilitators Manual 
and related online modules. This should provide practical, easy -to-follow guidance for facilitators 
involved in providing training and applying t he P-IMA framework. Th e new m anual , to be completed 
by the end of 2020,  will provide step -by-step guidance to facilitators for each stage of the P -IMA 
process, clearly explaining the related requirements, as well as possible challenges that may arise 
and tips to address these.  
5  VOLUNTARY THIRD -PARTY ASSURANCE PROGRAMMES  
5.1.  The Secretariat issued  a survey on existing and/or planned regulatory frameworks and 
practices related to voluntary third -party assurance (vTPA) programmes (including  quality 
management systems, assurance schemes or certification programmes) in food and feed safety , in 
cooperation with IICA and UNIDO . Many countries demonstrated interest in the topic, as 42 
responses were received by the end of May, including 26 from d eveloping countries.  
5.2.  The survey is still open, and responses are welcome until 19 June 2020 . Links to the survey  
(available in English, French and Spanish on SurveyMonkey) were distributed through the SPS and 
Codex Secretariat mailing lists. We encourage delegates to respond to t he survey , which can also 
be accessed here : 
✓ English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QSPGRV8  
✓ French: https://www.surveymon key.com/r/2ZK7GC8  
✓ Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BP7MCTF  
5.3.  On 9 June 2020 , UNIDO and the STDF organized a webinar on the role of accreditation to 
ensure food safety outcomes based on vTPA programmes . Further information on this meeting and 
the outcomes will be made available on STDF 's event webpage . G/SPS/GEN/1785  
 
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  6  PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS  
6.1.  Building on previous STDF work on PPPs , and also learning from OIE 's more recent work in this 
area, the Secretariat is currently collecting and compiling  new examples of PPPs in the area of SPS 
capacity and trade, more broadly (i.e. bey ond collaboration or data sharing linked to vTPA 
programmes in the food safety area) . To facilitate collect ing PPP examples , the Secretariat issued a 
"Call for Case Stories"  questionnaire  (also available through  SurveyMonkey) , which will soon be 
accessible via the PPP page  on the STDF website  in English, French and Spanish . We encourage 
delegates  to share PPP examples and  further distribute this survey with their respect ive networks . 
7  ELECTRONIC CERTIFICATION  
7.1.  Facing the COVID -19 pandemic, several WTO Members have notified trade facilitating SPS 
measures to  the WTO, focused amongst others on streamlin ing border and certification procedures. 
Increasingly, Members are accepti ng electronic SPS certification, in particular for plants and plant 
products. This follows the STDF -funded ePhyto project ( STDF/PG/504 ), with the IPPC, while the 
STDF is also funding a similar eVet p roject  (STDF/PG/609 ), with the OIE.  Generally, p aperless SPS 
systems can improve traceability throughout SPS supply chains, lower food waste, cut trade times 
and costs, reduce fraudulent certificates , and build trust among trading partners.  
7.2.  On 18 March, t he Secretariat also hosted the first meeting of the SPS eCert Advisory Committee 
(ECAC), which currently consists of 11 relevant international organizations . Its objective is to 
exchange information on eCert initiatives, facilitate linkages and synergies among these initiatives, 
and to maximize outputs and avoid efforts duplication. A summary report of t he meeting will be 
made available s hortly on STDF 's e-cert webpage . The next ECAC meeting will be held end o f June 
2020.  
8  PROJECT DEVELOPMENT  
8.1.  The STDF provides advice and support to applicants on issues related to SPS project 
development and finances project preparation grants (PPGs). PPGs, normally up to US$50,000, are 
available to help applicants articulate their SPS needs and develop technically sound and sustainable 
project proposals. PPGs can be requested to: (i) apply SPS capacity evalua tion and prioritization 
tools; (ii) prepare feasibility studies before project development to assess the potential impact and 
economic viability of proposals in terms of costs and benefits; and (iii) develop project proposals for 
funding by donors and/or t he STDF.  
8.2.  A total of 104 PPGs  has been approved and funded by the STDF since its inception. Information 
on on -going and completed PPGs is available on the STDF website . 
9  PROJECT IMPLE MENTATION  
9.1.  Project Grant (PG) financing for projects is also available from the STDF. Favourable 
consideration is given to projects that: (i) identify, develop and disseminate good practice in SPS -
related technical cooperation, including the development and  application of innovative and replicable 
approaches; (ii) apply regional approaches to address SPS constraints; and/or (iii) implement 
collaborative approaches across food safety, animal and plant health and trade.  Beneficiaries must 
contribute to the pro ject from their own resources, either in the form of financial or in -kind 
contributions (such as staff time, use of premises, vehicles or other existing assets ). 
9.2.  A total of 100 projects  have been approved for STDF funding since its inception. Information 
on on-going and completed projects is available on the STDF website . 
9.3.  Since its inception, the STDF has devoted 6 6% of its project and PPG resources to LDCs and 
other low -income countries (OLICs ). The STDF continues to meet its target to devote at least 40%  of 
its project and PPG resources to LDCs and OLICs. In particular, the allocation of PPG resources to 
LDCs and OLICs remains high (i.e. 69% of the overall budget for PPGs).  
9.4.  43% of the number o f STDF projects and PPGs has gone to Africa, 2 8% to Asia -Pacific, 1 9% to 
Latin America -Caribbean, and 0.9% to other regions (Middle East and Europe). In addition, 10% of 
the STDF projects and PPGs are classified as global.  G/SPS/GEN/1785  
 
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  10  HOW TO APPLY FOR STDF FUNDING  
10.1.   The STDF is currently in the process of launching a new online application system which would 
replace the traditional form of receiving grant proposals via email. More information on this new 
system will be provided on the STDF website  in the coming weeks.   
10.2.   Applications for STDF funding can be made at any point in the year but should be received at 
least 60 working days in advance of each Working Group meeting to be considered at that meeting.  
10.3.   The next deadline for the submission of applications is 17 July 2020 . Further information on 
eligibility criteria, application forms, etc. is available on the STDF website.  
RECOMMENDED STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN SEEKING PG OR PPG FUNDING 
OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE STDF:  
1. Browse the webpages for information (aims, eligibility criteria, etc.) on:  
• PPGs: http://www.standardsfacility.org/project -preparation -grants  
• PGs: http://www.standardsfacility.org/project -grants  
2. View examples of previous projects:  
• PPGs: http://www.standardsfacility.org/projectpreparationgrants  
• PGs: http://www.standardsfacility.org/projectgrants  
3. Carefully read the guidance note for applicants:  
http://standardsfacility.org/sites/default/files/STDFGu idanceNote_English_FINAL_2015.pdf  
4. Consult relevant stakeholders in the country/region.  
5. Send a brief concept note of your potential project for feedback on eligibility and 
likelihood of funding  (STDFSecretariat @wto.org ). 
6. Fill out an application form and submit it electronically before the deadline:  
• PPGs: 
http://standardsfacility.org/sites/default/files/PPG ApplicationForm_English_FINAL_2015.doc  
• PGs: 
http://standardsfacility.org/sites/default/files/PGApplicationForm_English_FINAL_2015.doc  
 
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