G/SPS/GEN/1630  
 
6 July 2018  
(18-4239) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
SPS ACTIVITIES FROM CARIBBEAN AGRICULTUR AL HEALTH AND FOOD S AFETY 
AGENCY  (CAHFSA) TO THE WORL D TRADE ORGANIZATION  SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY COMMIT TEE MEETING  
REPORT TO THE COMMIT TEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASUR ES 
The following communication, received on 21 June 2018, is being c irculated at the request 
of CAHFSA . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) was established by the 
Heads of Government of the Caribbe an Community (CARICOM) to perform a coordinating and 
organizing role in the establishment of an effective and efficient regional sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) regime and to execute on behalf of member States such SPS actions and 
activities that can be m ore effectively and efficiently executed through a regional mechanism.  
1.2.  CAHFSA is pleased to provide this report to the 72nd meeting of the SPS Committee 
summarising key activities and providing updates on CARICOM 's SPS standard -setting work 
programme for t he period January to June 2018.  
2  DEVELOPING LINKAGES WITH INTERN ATIONAL SPS -RELATED ORGANIZATION S 
2.1.  CAHFSA is delighted to announce that the institution was recognized as the 10th Regional 
Plant Protection Organization during 13th Meeting of the Commi ssion o n Phytosanitary 
Measures  (CPM-13), held in Rome 16 -20 April 2018.  
2.2.  The Institution also continues its engagement with the OIE and the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission through meeting participation and regional coordination.  
3  REGIONAL COLL ABORATION  
3.1.  CAHFSA has signed two Letters of Agreement (LOAs) with the Food and Agricultural 
Organization of the Uni ted Nations (FAO) Sub -Regional O ffice for the Caribbean, to:  
 provide services towards strengthening the plant and animal quarantine capacities of three 
member Stat es based on specific priorities identified by these countries in their respective 
Country Programming Frameworks;  
 strengthen the capacity of Governments in the CARICOM region to meet their reporting 
obligat ions under the IPPC and the WTO SPS Agreement and to improve the awareness 
among CARICOM National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) of the SPS Agreement.  
4  STANDARD SETTING AND  IMPLEMENTATION  
4.1.  The Regional Biosafety Policy was approved by the Council on  Trade and Economic 
Development  (COTED) and a roa d map for its implementation develope d. This includes the review 
of member States biosafety legislation and the development of a draft model legislation.  G/SPS/GEN/1630  
 
- 2 - 
 
  4.2.  A draft specification for cassava flour has been developed by CAHFSA to ensure that cassava 
flour prod uced in the region conforms with international standards.  
4.3.  A guideline for preparing market access proposals was adopted as a Regional Guideline at the 
Seventy First (71st) Special Meeting of the COTED.  
4.4.  Six m ember States have received approval from COTED to  export pork and poultry products 
to the region, following risk assessments that were coordinated by CAHFSA.  
5  CAPACITY BUILDING  
5.1.  CAHFSA continues to provide training in pest risk analysis to CARICOM member States, 
towards improving the competence of analysts in the region and to build a cadre of risk 
assessment professionals.  
5.2.  Four trainings on monitoring and surveillance for plant pest s and animal diseases were 
facilitated by CAHFSA . 
5.3.  CAHFSA co ntinues its col laboration with regional p artners in facilitating the annual regional 
workshop on Plant Quarantine Principles and Procedures.  
5.4.  CAHFSA partnered with the FAO and the Government of Switzerland to stage a Food Safety 
Capacity Building Workshop  on Foods of Anim al Origin in Saint  Lucia.  The main objective of the 
workshop was to heighten and increase awareness for food safety particularly in the meat sector 
(beef, pork, lamb, poultry) with the use of Codex food safety standards, and to have an open 
discussion on i ssues of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance within this sector . 
6  TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION EXCH ANGE  
6.1.  The Information Portal developed on CAHFSA 's website continues to provide weekly update s 
on WTO notifications as well agricultural heal th and food safety alerts.  
6.2.  Several databases related to agricultural heath and food safety have been developed to 
improve the delivery and sharing of information across the region. These databases, which are still 
in the developmental stage, are available  from the CAHFSA website and provide information on:  
 List of pesticides regi stered by CARICOM m ember States;  
 Risk analyses completed ; 
 Regionally regulated pests ; 
 Regional trade issues;  
 Import and export requirements of the m ember States ; 
 Food safety, animal and plant health practitioners in the region . 
 
__________