G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4/Add.1  
 
1 May 2014  
(14-2656)  Page: 1/5  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures   
 
 WTO SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN 2014: 
GENERAL INFORMATION, SELECTION PROCESS AN D APPLICATION FORM 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
Addendum 
1  THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP 
1. At its 25-26 March meeting, the SPS Committee agreed to use the occasion of the SPS thematic 
workshop in October to focus on risk analysis, based on the proposal submitted by the United 
States, in the context of the Fourth Review. This SP S thematic workshop on risk analysis will take 
place on Monday, 13 and Tuesday, 14 October 2014.  The SPS informal and regular meetings will 
be held on 15-17 October 2014. 
2. The objective of the workshop is to bring together officials responsible for participation in and 
implementation of the SPS Agreement, the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC ), and the World Organisation for Animal Health 
(OIE) for an in depth discussion, at a technical level, on decision making and communication 
during the risk analysis process. More specifically: 
a. Participants will review relevant developments in SPS-related risk analysis since the 
SPS workshop in 2000 ( G/SPS/GEN/209 ).
2 This will include information from the 
Codex, IPPC and OIE on their respective work, as well as a review of the outcome of 
WTO dispute settlement cases as they relate to the risk assessment provisions of the SPS Agreement. 
b. Participants will discuss the link between risk assessment outcomes and risk 
management decisions, including sharing their experiences in using risk assessment as a basis for making SPS-related risk management decisions, and their experiences in 
co-operation between the public and private sectors. 
c. Participants will discuss their experiences in SPS-related risk communication. 
d. Participants will explore ways to leverage resources to more effectively perform risk 
assessments, as well as emerging issues and challenges in risk analysis. 
2  REGIONAL SPS WORKSHOPS 3. Three regional workshops on the SPS Agreement will be organized in 2014, with revised dates 
and venues, and application deadlines  as follows: 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucus.  
Vienna, Austria, 8 to 11 September 2014. Application deadline: 6 June 2014; 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 The PowerPoint presentations and the progra mme from the 2000 SPS workshop are available at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/risk00_e/risk00_e.htm  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4/Add.1 
 
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   Regional SPS Workshop for the Pacific (co-organized with the Pacific Islands Forum 
Secretariat). Nadi, Fiji, the  week of 10 November 2014 . Application deadline: 
18 July 2014; 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-American 
Development Bank). Montevideo, Uruguay,  week of 17  November 2014. 
Application deadline: 15 August 2014. 
4. The Secretariat will select a maximum of thirty participants for the Regional SPS Workshop for 
Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucus, as well as for the Regional SPS 
Workshop for the Pacific. For the Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America  (co-organized with the 
Inter-American Development Bank),  two government officials will be selected from each eligible 
country. 
5. The targeted audience for these workshops are government officials: 
a. holding direct responsibilities in the SPS area, i.e. SPS notification authority or enquiry 
point; Codex, IPPC or OIE contact points; officials from a relevant Ministry in charge of 
coordinating SPS matters and international trade; and 
b. possessing a proven intermediate level of understanding of the principles and structure 
of the WTO, and of the principles an d provisions of the SPS Agreement. 
6. Interested candidates must fill-in and submit the online application form which is available at: 
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2 014-wto-sps-technical-assistanceapplication-
form/ . Applicants applying for the Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America should also 
submit their curriculum vitae (CV) electronically, using the link to the online application form. 
7. Additional information on these Regional SPS Workshops is available in the tables below. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4/Add.1 
 
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  Title of the 
activity Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia 
and the Caucasus 
Dates 8-11 September 2014 
Venue Joint Vienna Institute - Austria 
Eligible WTO Members and 
Observers  Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
Georgia, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan, 
Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. 
Pre-requisites  Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed 
the WTO SPS E-Learning Course by the time of their application. All participants 
are expected to have completed the SPS E-Learning Course before the start of 
the workshop. The E-Learning Course is available at: http://etraining.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in and submit the online application form which is available 
at: 
 
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2014-wto-sps-technical-
assistanceapplication-form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before 6 June 2014  
 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered.  
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection 
during July 2014. 
 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the selected candidates. 
 
Selected candidates will be required to immediately provide their passport information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4/Add.1 
 
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Title of the 
activity Regional SPS Workshop for the Pacific (co-organized with the Pacific Islands 
Forum Secretariat) 
Dates Week of 10 November 2014  
Venue Nadi, Fiji 
Eligible WTO Members :3 Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, 
Vanuatu 
Additional funding  may be available for the participation of candidates from 
member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) which are not 
WTO Members.4 This is subject to confirmation. 
Pre-requisites  Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed 
the WTO SPS E-Learning Course by the time of their application. All participants are expected to have completed the SPS E-Learning Course before the start of 
the workshop. The E-Learning Course is available at: http://etraining.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in and submit the online application form which is available 
at:  
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2014-wto-sps-technical-
assistanceapplication-form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before 
18 July 2014 . 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection 
during August 2014. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
                                               
3 The WTO will fund the participation of WTO Members from the Pacific. 
4 Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Ki ribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall 
Islands, Tuvalu. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4/Add.1 
 
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Title of the 
activity Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America  (co-organized with the Inter-
American Development Bank – IDB) 
Dates Week of 17 November 2014 
Venue Montevideo, Uruguay 
Eligible WTO Members and 
Observers  Argentina, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Cuba
5, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay. 
Pre-requisites  Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed 
the WTO SPS E-Learning Course by the time of their application. All participants are expected to have completed the SPS E-Learning Course before the start of 
the workshop, or may be required to have completed the first part of an IDB 
Online Training Course, if available. The WTO SPS E-Learning Course is available at: http://etraining.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in Spanish. 
Application Candidates must fill-in and submit the online application form which is available 
at: 
 https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2014-wto-sps-technical-
assistanceapplication-form/  
 
Candidates must also submit their curriculum-vitae (CV) electronically, using the 
link to the online application form.  
 Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before  15 August 2014 . 
 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered.  
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection 
during September 2014. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
  
__________  
                                               
5 Participants that are se lected from Cuba will be financed by the WTO.