G/SPS/GEN/1254  
 
18 June 2013  
(13-3171)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
DRAFT PROGRAMME FOR WORKSHOP 
ON SPS-RELATED MARKET ACCESS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
1.  The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization is organizing a special workshop on SPS-
related market access challenges and opportunities, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, 14 October 2013. The workshop will be foll owed by training sessions with the participants 
of the 2013 Advanced SPS Course on Tuesday 15 Octo ber, and by informal and formal meetings of 
the SPS Committee, from Wednesday 16 October until Friday 18 October. Representatives of Members, Observers and Observer Organizations are all invited to participate in the workshop on 
14 October, as well as the subsequent meetings of the Committee. 
2.  Document G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.3 contains de tailed information on the workshop and on the 
application process. More than 250 applications were received by the deadline of 7 June 2013. The WTO, with the financial assistance of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), 
will sponsor the participation of approximately 50 government officials from developing country 
Members and Observers. The Secretariat will select participants to be sponsored among applications from former participants to the Ad vanced SPS Course who are government officials. 
3.  The workshop is intended to be a highly interactive activity focussing, in particular, on the 
funded participants' and other speakers' experien ces in addressing specific SPS-related market 
access challenges. It will provide a unique, open platform for discussion and experience sharing, 
with a view to identifying common elements and lessons learned. For each session, one speaker 
will be invited to briefly present an illustrative experience. A moderator will direct questions to 
designated discussants and the audience at large to focus on particular experiences and present 
conclusions and recommendations, where relevant, at the end of each session. 
4.  The following is the proposed programme of the workshop. Delegations wishing to provide any 
specific comments regarding this programme should submit them to the WTO (email: hanna.vitikkala@wto.org) by 26 July 2013. For fu rther enquiries about the workshop, please 
contact Ms Hanna Vitikkala (Tel: +(41 22) 739 6544; Fax: +(41 22) 739 5760, E-mail: 
hanna.vitikkala@wto.org). 
 
 
 
                                               
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. G/SPS/GEN/1254 
- 2 -  
 
  DRAFT PROGRAMME 
WORKSHOP ON SPS- RELATED MARKET ACCESS CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES 
MONDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2013, COUNCIL ROOM 
 
10.00 – 10.15   
Workshop overview and objectives Speaker: WTO Secretariat (TBC) 
 
 10.15 - 13.00 
 Session 1: Different Governmental Roles in Enhancing SPS-related Market Access 
 
In this session, governmental officials will present, through practical case stories2, how they have 
addressed SPS-related market access challenges in their work. The session aims to identify factors that are essential in creating and enhancing market access (such as alignment and common 
objectives within the government), and to illustrate how individual actions can make a difference in 
this respect.    
 
13.00 – 15.00   
Lunch break 
 
 15.00 - 16.15 
 
Session 2: The Role of Collaboration between the Public and Private Sectors in Enhancing SPS-related 
Market Access 
 Speakers in this session will explore, again through practical case stories, the role that partnerships between government agencies and the private sector can play in facilitating SPS-related market 
access. The session will group together speakers fr om the public and private sectors, and hence give 
different points of view on the drivers behind such partnerships, various partnership modalities, scopes, objectives, challenges faced and lessons lear ned. On the basis of discussions, the session will 
aim to identify some of the key characteristics of successful partnership arrangements.  
 
 16.15 - 17.45 
 Session 3: The Role of Technical Co-operation in Enhancing SPS-related Market Access 
 Speakers in this session will present, also through practical case stories, how technical cooperation projects can contribute to creating and enhanc ing SPS-related market access. The session will 
discuss different project modalities, the development partners involved, project outputs etc., with a 
view to identifying factors in SPS capacity needs assessment, project design and implementation that 
both recipients and providers should take into account to optimize the projects' market access 
impact.   
 
 
17.45 – 18.00 
 
Closing remarks and wrap-up of the workshop 
 
 
__________  
                                               
2 The case stories are based on the funded participants' action plans (developed during the SPS 
Advanced Course and implemented afterw ards) and other relevant experience.