G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4  
 
6 March 2014  
(14-1372)  Page: 1/13  
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 
Revision 
1.  The Secretariat of the WTO plans to organize a number of specific technical assistance activities 
on the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) in 
2014. These activities include: the SPS E-Learning course, national SPS seminars, a thematic SPS 
workshop in Geneva, regional SPS wo rkshops and an advanced SPS course.2 These activities will 
primarily focus on the provisions of the SPS Ag reement, implementation matters and the latest 
discussions taking place in the SPS Committee.3 The overall objective of the SPS technical 
assistance activities is to enhance the knowledge and expertise of government officials from WTO 
developing country Members and Observers, so they can better understand and implement the 
SPS Agreement, benefit from its provisions, and strengthen their capacity to engage in the work of 
the SPS Committee (for additional information on technical assistance activities related to the SPS 
Agreement, please consult the WTO website at http://www.wto.org/sps/ta ). 
2.  This document provides detailed information about each SPS-specific WTO technical assistance 
activity planned for 2014, including information on dates, venues, eligibility and selection criteria 
of participants, instructions for submission of applications, deadlines and pre-requisites when required. 
3.  This document is structured according to the different types of SPS-specific technical assistance 
activities provided by the WTO: 
 E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement 
 National SPS Seminars 
 Thematic SPS Workshop 
 Regional SPS Workshops 
 Advanced SPS Course, including the Follow-up Session 
4.  A chronological table with the dates and steps for application for all the SPS-specific technical 
assistance activities in 2014 can be found in Annex I. 
                                               
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 In addition to these SPS-specific technical assistance activities, the WTO offers training courses where 
the SPS Agreement is taught, such as Introduction and Intermediate Courses for Least-Developed Countries, Regional Trade Policy Courses and Advanced Trade Policy Courses. 
3 The SPS Committee is scheduled to meet three times in 2014: 25-26 March; 9-10 July; and 
15-16 October. Informal meetings of the SPS Committe e and other SPS-related workshops might be scheduled 
during the weeks when the SPS Committee meetings take place. These dates are subject to change. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  5.  The structure, content, target audience, pr e-requisites, exercises and materials of these SPS-
specific activities will follow the WTO Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS).4 Therefore, each activity 
is identified according to a scale ranging from "Level 1" (the least advanced, introductory activities) to "Level 3" (the most advanced, in-depth training activities). This measurement will, 
inter alia , assist in making candidates aware of the expe cted level of the activity before they apply, 
and facilitate the Secretariat's assessment of whether a candidate's profile and experience match the level of the activity when carrying out the selection process. This will ultimately help ensure 
that the participants in a particular activity are able to most effectively follow and contribute to the 
discussions, and that they have a harmonized level of understanding of the SPS Agreement. 
Further information on the WTO progressive learning strategy and a table with the level of each of the SPS-specific technical assistance activities can be found in Annex II. 
1  E-LEARNING COURSE ON THE SPS AGREEMENT 
Level of this activity: 1 
   3  
6.  The WTO offers an E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement (SPS E-Learning Course), so as to 
enable government officials from around the world to learn, through an interactive tool, about the 
basic provisions and principles of the SPS Agr eement, the work of the SPS Committee and the SPS 
disputes brought to the WTO Dispute Settlement Mech anism. During the entire course, participants 
receive personal tutoring from an assigned staff member of the WTO Secretariat who is 
responsible for clarifying and responding to any SP S-related question. While a brief introduction to 
the SPS Agreement is included in the E-Learning course "Introduction to the WTO", this online course on the SPS Agreement is the most introducto ry-level training available specifically on the 
SPS Agreement. 
7.  The course is available in all three WTO official languages (English, French and Spanish) and is 
divided into eight modules which must be comple ted within three months. At the end of each 
module, participants are required to take a short on-line test. The completion of these tests is 
required for the successful completion of the course. 
8.  Successful completion of the SPS E-Learning Course is a pre-requisite for participation in a 
number of other SPS technical assistance activities, such as the Regional Workshops and the 
Advanced SPS Course. However, successful co mpletion of the SPS E-Learning Course does not 
guarantee  selection for other SPS-related training ev ents. Government officials who have already 
successfully completed the SPS E-Learning Course, in any of the available languages, are not 
required to undertake it again.  
9.  The WTO offers the SPS E-learning Course throughout the year. 10.  While the WTO E-Learning material is freely available on the WTO E-Learning website, 
participants have to register and submit a nomination form in order to participate in a monitored 
course, access the module exams and obtain a WTO certificate. 
11.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to register for the SPS E-
Learning Course must access the WTO E-Learning website ( http://etraining.wto.org ). In order to 
register for a course, two forms are to be filled-in and submitted: 
a. On-line Registration Form:  available on http://etraining.wto.org  at "Online Courses". 
This registration form needs to be comple ted on-line, and the system will generate a 
registration number that will be  used in the "nomination form"; 
b. Nomination Form:  the candidate should be confirmed by the responsible government 
authorities. The nomination form is also available on http://etraining.wto.org  at "Online 
Courses". The completed nomination form must be sent either by email (scanned) to 
elearning.registration@wto.org  or by fax to +41 22 739 5191. 
12.  Further information and instructions about the registration process for the SPS E-Learning 
Course can be found on the website http://etraining.wto.org . 
                                               
4 The primary aim of the PLS is to promote higher le vels of learning and to encourage the development 
of participants’ autonomy, with a view to building an d sustaining the long-lasting human and institutional 
capacity of beneficiary countries to participate most effe ctively in the rules-based multilateral training system. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  2  NATIONAL SPS SEMINARS 
Level of this activity: 1    3 
13.  WTO developing country Members and Observers are entitled to request national seminars 
with a view to address specific training needs on the SPS Agreement and its implementation. In 
this regard, the programmes for national seminars are elaborated by the beneficiary country in 
consultation with the WTO Secretariat. It is po ssible to address both the SPS and TBT Agreements, 
or the SPS Agreement and the Agreement on Agriculture, in a single national seminar. 
14.  National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) or higher (in-depth, advance 
training) level, depending on the training needs id entified by the requesting Member, and the level 
of knowledge and experience of the participants. It is also possible to organize two national activities back-to-back for different participants, for example, one at an introductory level and 
another at an advanced level. The Secretariat will aim to tailor the structure and content of these 
seminars according to each specific request and through consultations with the beneficiary Member during the preparation phase of the seminar. 
15.  To request a national seminar on the SPS Agreement, Members and Observers must complete 
and submit a Technical Assistance National Request form
5 which is available online at: 
https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=xdwzKQdS1rW-ACYrvWhqtA . The formal request must be 
submitted along with the official requesting letter,  addressed to the Director of the Institute for 
Training and Technical Co-operation (ITTC). The form and the official requesting letter should 
either be submitted online via the weblink ( https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=xdwzKQdS1rW-
ACYrvWhqtA ) or printed and sent by fax to: +41 22 739 57 64.  
16.  Due to the increased number of requests receiv ed for national SPS seminars in recent years, 
the Secretariat encourages Members and Observers to submit any request for national SPS seminars as early as possible (preferably in the first half of the year) to ensure proper coordination 
and preparation for these activities.
6 
3  THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP  Level of this activity: 1 
   3  
17.  The Secretariat will organize a special SPS thematic workshop, to be held in Geneva, 
Switzerland. The workshop will focus on one of th e following thematic areas: risk analysis, good 
regulatory practices or trade facilitation. The workshop will take place on Monday, 13 October 
2014. The SPS informal and regular meetings will be held on 14-16 October 2014. 
18.  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 le vel, on one of the identified thematic areas. 
19.  The workshop is open to participation by all delegates from WTO Members and Observers 
attending the SPS Committee meeting in October 2014. 
20.  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 w ill select participants to be sponsored from 
applications received from capital-based officials holding direct responsibilities in the SPS area. 
Preference will be given to applications from least-developed countries (LDCs), and from 
developing country Members and Observers that have not been sponsored to participate in a 
thematic workshop on the SPS Agreement in the recent past. No more than one participant from 
each country will be selected. 
                                               
5 More information on the new national request form is available in JOB/TC/5.  
6 While every effort will be made to accommodate  the requests of Members and Observers, the 
Secretariat cannot guarantee that it will have the nece ssary resources to undertake  all national seminars 
requested during the year. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  21.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers meeting the above-mentioned 
criteria and wishing to apply for the thematic workshop must consult the instructions provided in Annex III, and complete and submit the online application form available at: https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2 014-wto-sps-technical-assistanceapplication-
form/ . 
22.  An economy-class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if applicable), accommodation, daily 
subsistence allowance for the duration of the wo rkshop and the SPS Committee meetings (from 13 
to 17 October 2014), and terminal expenses will be provided to the selected participants as of the 
opening day of the activity. Other administrative arrangements shall be communicated directly to the selected participants in advance of the workshop. 
4  REGIONAL SPS WORKSHOPS 
Level of this activity: 1 
   3  
4.1  Overview 
23.  The Secretariat of the WTO organizes regi onal workshops on the SPS Agreement with the 
purpose of making participants fully aware of the WTO SPS Agreement, its implementation, and 
the possible implications at the regional and nati onal levels. These workshops are generally funded 
by the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF). 
24.  The regional workshops also serve as an opportunity for government officials working on SPS 
matters in different developing countries to establish contact with their counterparts in other developing countries of the region, facilitating the exchange of information and the sharing of best 
practices related to the implementation of the SPS Agreement. 
25.  Representatives from Codex, IPPC and OIE actively participate as resource persons in these 
regional workshops, contributing their knowledge and experience in their areas of expertise. In 
addition, the WTO may invite relevant regional organizations, international and regional 
development institutions and organizations, as well as other technical assistance organizations and 
bilateral donors involved in SPS matters, to inform participants of their latest activities. 
4.2  Regional SPS Workshops in 2014 
26.  Three regional workshops on the SPS Agreement will be organized in 2014:  
 Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucus;  
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-American 
Development Bank); and 
 Regional SPS Workshop for the Pacific (co-organized with the Pacific Islands Forum 
Secretariat). 
27.  Specific information and instructions for each of these three activities can be found in 
Annex IV. 
4.3  Selection Process  28.  The WTO Secretariat will carry out a selection process aimed at better utilizing the resources 
available by ensuring that only qualified and suitable candidates participate in the regional 
workshops. The Secretariat will consider applic ations from all eligible Members and Observers 
subject to the receipt of the candidacy within the deadline and to the candidate meeting the pre-requisites. The Secretariat will endeavour to ensure an overall balance regarding participants' 
specializations, countries of origin and gender. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  29.  The Secretariat will select a maximum of thirty participants for each Regional SPS Workshop.7 
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 und erstanding of the principles and structure 
of the WTO, and of the principles an d provisions of the SPS Agreement. 
30.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to apply for participation in 
the regional workshops must consult the instructions provided in Annex IV, and complete and submit the online application form available at: https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2 014-wto-sps-technical-assistanceapplication-
form/ . 
31.  The Secretariat will inform Members' and Observers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candidates from their government before the final 
selection. 
32.  Selected participants will receive from the WTO an economy-class round-trip air-ticket 
(excursion fare, if applicable), full board services and facilities at the hotel where the activity is 
held (bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and ground tr ansport airport-hotel-airport). The WTO will also 
provide the confirmed participants with 100 Sw iss Francs lump sum for their out of pocket 
expenses. This amount will be provided during th e two weeks following the closure of the activity, 
via Western Union or bank transfer once the participant has returned to his/her home country. In 
addition, when stopovers are mentioned in the air- tickets issued by the WTO, the participant will 
receive 300 Swiss Francs per stopover. This/These amount(s) will be provided during the two weeks following the closure of the activity, via Western Union or bank transfer and once the 
participant has returned to his/her home country . Other administrative arrangements will be 
communicated directly to the selected participants in advance of each activity. 
4.4  Pre-requisites for Participation  
33.  Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed the WTO SPS 
E-Learning Course by the time they submit their application. All participants are expected to have completed the E-Learning Course before the start of the workshop. See Section 1 regarding enrolment in the E-Learning Course. 
5  ADVANCED SPS COURSE AND FOLLOW-UP SESSION 
Level of this activity: 1 
   3 
5.1  Overview 
34.  The 2014 Advanced SPS Course will be held from 6 to 24 October 2014  in Geneva, 
Switzerland, in Spanish . This course is an in-depth and "hands-on" training activity on the SPS 
Agreement conceived to encourage the active involvement and leadership of participants in SPS-
related matters, ranging from addressing national implementation problems to the identification of 
SPS-related market access difficulties and how to develop strategies to overcome these. The course also seeks to assist government officials from developing countries in enhancing their participation in the SPS Committee. 
35.  The course comprises a series of sessions and practical exercises related to the 
implementation of the SPS Agreement. The first week of the course includes sessions aimed at 
deepening participants' understanding of the SPS Ag reement. In the second week, participants will 
take part in the thematic workshop, and attend the SPS Committee meetings, with a view to 
                                               
7 For the Regional SPS Workshop  for the Pacific, additional funding may be available for the 
participation of candidates from member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat which are not WTO 
Members. This is subject to confirmation. Additional information will be made available via the SPS Technical Assistance webpage at: http://www.wto.org/sps/ta . 
 G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  learning how the Committee works in practice, so as to become familiar with the rules and 
procedures of the Committee and to participate in  the discussions taking place there. In the third 
week, participants will compare their experiences and will learn more about how to improve the implementation of specific provisions of the SPS Agreement, including the application of concepts 
and principles such as risk analysis, harmonization, equivalence, regionalization and transparency. 
Dispute settlement, technical assistance and cooperation, and special and differential treatment will also be addressed. The course is compleme nted by briefing sessions with SPS delegates. 
Former participants of the course, attending the SPS Committee, will also share their experiences 
with current participants in relation to the de velopment and implementation of their own action 
plans. A number of external experts, including from Codex, IPPC and OIE, will participate in parts of the course. 
36.  Each participant will be required to elaborat e an action plan with the assistance of coaches. 
This plan should address at least one or two specific implementation and/or market access challenges encountered in their countries. During th e course, participants will regularly meet with 
their coaches to discuss and develop their action plan. On return to their countries, participants 
will be required to implement their action plans and submit periodic reports on their progress.  
37.  A follow-up session will be organized in June 2015, where participants to the Advanced SPS 
Course will report on the implementation of their action plans. 
5.2  Selection Process  38.  The Secretariat will select a maximum of twenty-five participants for the Advanced SPS 
Course. The target audience for this course ar e government officials, in particular those: 
a. holding direct responsibilities in SPS areas, e.g. specialists on food safety, animal health, 
plant protection or officials from a relevant Ministry in charge of coordinating SPS matters and international trade; 
b. possessing a proven advanced level of understanding of the provisions and structure of 
the WTO, and the principles and provisions of the SPS Agreement, and willing to take 
initiative and leadership; and 
c. fluent in oral and written Spanish. 
39.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to apply for the Advanced 
SPS Course must consult the instructions provided in Annex V, and complete and submit the online application form available at: https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2014-wto-sps-
technical-assistanceapplication-form/ . 
40.  The Secretariat will inform Members' and Observers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candidates from their government before the final 
selection. 
41.  Selected participants will receive an economy-class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if 
applicable), accommodation, daily subsistence allowance for the duration of the course and 
terminal expenses at the applicable WTO rate. These will be provided to the participant by the 
WTO during the activity. Other administrative arra ngements will be communicated directly to the 
selected participants in advance of the course. 
5.3  Pre-requisites for Participation 
42.  There are two pre-requisites for participation in the Advanced SPS Course: 
a. All candidates are required to have successfully completed the WTO SPS E-Learning 
Course by the time of their application. Applications from candidates who have not 
successfully completed the SPS E-Learning Cour se will not be considered. See Section 1 
regarding enrolment in the E-Learning Course. 
b. Before the start of the course, the selected candidates will receive a questionnaire to 
assess the level of implementation of the SPS Agreement in their countries. Completion and submission of the responses to the questionnaire is compulsory for participation in 
the course.  
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4  
 
- 7 - ANNEX I 
SPS-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTI VITIES IN 2014 – CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 
Activity Pre-requisites 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 
E-Learning Course 
on SPS (English, 
French and 
Spanish) WTO Certification only 
for registered 
Government officials 
from WTO Members 
and Observers  
Courses available throughout the year 
Regional SPS 
Workshop for 
Central and 
Eastern Europe, 
Central Asia and 
the Caucasus SPS E-Learning course*  
Applications accepted until 
6 June. Results 
of 
selection  
Workshop 
from  
8-11 Sept.    
Regional SPS 
Workshop for Latin 
America SPS E-Learning course*  
Applications accepted until 
6 June.   Results 
of 
selection   Worksho
p from 
11-14 
Nov.  
Regional SPS 
Workshop for the 
Pacific SPS E-Learning course*  
Applications accepted until 
6 June.  Results 
of 
selection   Worksho
p from 
(Dates 
TBC)   
2014 Advanced 
SPS Course in 
Spanish SPS E-Learning course*  
 
Completion and 
submission of pre-
course questionnaire  
Applications accepted until 
6 June. Results 
of 
selection  Submission 
of response 
to the 
questionnaire Course from 
6-24 Oct.    
Thematic SPS 
Workshop 
 (Specific topic to be 
confirmed)  Only for government 
officials holding direct 
responsibilities in the 
SPS area   
Applications accepted until 
6 June. Results 
of 
selection   Workshop & 
SPS Committee 
meetings from  
13-17 Oct.    
 Although the E-learning courses are availabl e throughout the year, its completion must take place within three months of having  started the process. 
* Preference will be given to those candidates that have succes sfully completed the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application. 
 All participants are expected to have completed the E-Learning  Course before the start of the workshop. Further information ca n be found in Section 1 of this document.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  ANNEX II 
PROGRESSIVE LEARNING STRATEGY1 
SPS-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) ACTIVITIES 
1.  In order to respond to the need for greater coherence and complementarity in WTO capacity-
building, the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) has developed a progressive 
strategy to promote higher levels of learning and to encourage the development of participants’ 
autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long-lasting human and institutional capacity 
of beneficiary countries to participate most effectively in the rules-based multilateral training 
system. 
2.  In this regard, two broad categories of participants in WTO capacity-building have been 
identified: 
a. "Generalists"  are those government officials who will need a broad knowledge of the 
WTO to conduct their work, such as capital-based officials dealing with WTO issues or delegates posted to Geneva missions with  general responsibility for WTO affairs; 
b. "Specialists"  are those government officials that will require in-depth knowledge in a 
specific area, such as those officials working on a specific issue in a particular Ministry in their capital (for example, those who are dealing with SPS issues). 
3.  Following this strategy, each SPS-specific technical assistance activity has been categorized 
based on a scale of three training levels, ranging from "Level 1" (the least advanced, introductory 
activities) to "Level 3" (the most advanced, in-depth training activities). 
Progressive Learning Strategy 
Level SPS-specific TA Activity 
1 and 2 E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement2 
2 National SPS Seminars3 
2 and 3 Thematic SPS Workshop, in Geneva 
2 and 3 Regional SPS Workshops4 
3 Advanced SPS Course, in Geneva 
 
 
                                               
1 Additional information on the WTO's progressive le arning strategy (PLS) is available in JOB/TC/7. 
2 While an introduction to the SPS Agreement is included in the Level 1 E-Learning course "Introduction 
to the WTO", this Internet course on the SPS Agreement is the most introductory-level training available specifically on the SPS Agreement. 
3 National SPS seminars may have a lower (more intr oductory) or higher (in-depth, advance training) 
level, depending on the training needs identified by the requesting Member, and the level of knowledge and 
experience of the participants. The Secretariat will aim to tailor the structure and content of these seminars 
according to each specific request and through cons ultations with the beneficiary Member during the 
preparation phase of the seminar. 
4 The training provided in regional SPS workshops will, in general, be more advanced than the training 
given in national SPS seminars, as it will also focus on regional challenges and coordination matters. In 
determining the level of each regional workshop, the Secretariat will take into account the level of 
implementation of the SPS Agreement by the participating countries (for instance, through participation in the SPS Committee, number of notifications, etc.), as well as the overall level amongst the selected candidates. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  ANNEX III 
THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP IN 2014 
Title of the 
activity Thematic SPS Workshop (Specific topic to be confirmed)  
Dates 13 to 17 October 20141 
Venue Geneva, Switzerland 
Eligible WTO 
Members and Observers WTO least-developed and developing country Members and Observers. 
Pre-requisites for 
funding Only for government officials holding di rect responsibilities in the SPS area. 
Preference will be given to applications from least-developed countries 
(LDCs), and from developing country Members and Observers that have not 
been sponsored to participate in a thematic workshop on the SPS Agreement in the recent past.  No more than one participant from each 
country will be selected. 
Fluent in either English, French or 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 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. 
 
 
 
                                               
1 Dates include participants' attendance at the info rmal and regular meetings  of the SPS Committee. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  ANNEX IV 
REGIONAL SPS WORKSHOPS IN 2014 
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, Croatia, Georgia, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, 
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedo nia, 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 
 
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Title of the 
activity Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America  (co-organized with the Inter-
American Development Bank – IDB) 
Dates 11-14 November 2014  
Venue Montevideo, Uruguay 
Eligible WTO Members and 
Observers  Argentina, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Cuba
1, 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. The 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 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 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. 
                                               
1 Participants that are se lected from Cuba will be financed by the WTO. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for the Pacific (co-organized with the Pacific 
Island Forum Secretariat) 
Dates November/December 2014 (Dates to be confirmed)  
Venue TBC 
Eligible WTO Members :2 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.3 This is subject to confirmation. Additional 
information will be made available via the SPS Technical Assistance 
webpage at: http://www.wto.org/sps/ta . 
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 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. 
 
                                               
2 The WTO will fund the participation of WTO Members from the Pacific. 
3 Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Ki ribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall 
Islands, Tuvalu. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.4 
 
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  ANNEX V 
2014 ADVANCED SPS COURSE 
Title of the 
activity 2014 Advanced SPS Course (in Spanish) 
Dates 6 to 24 October 2014 
Venue Geneva, Switzerland 
Eligible WTO 
Members and Observers WTO least-developed and developing country Members and Observers 
Pre-requisites Successful completion of the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS 
Agreement. 
Candidates are required to have successfully completed the WTO  
SPS E-Learning Course by the time of their application. Applications from 
candidates who have not successfully completed the SPS E-Learning Course 
on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. The E-Learning Course is 
available at: http://etraining.wto.org . 
Completion and submission of the responses to the questionnaire is 
compulsory for participation in the course. 
Short-listed candidates may be required to submit a letter of motivation.  
Fluent in oral and written 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 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. 
 
 
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