G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
27 February  2017 
(17-1153) Page: 1/13 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIE S IN 201 7: 
GENERAL INFORMATION,  SELECTION PROCESS AN D APPLICATION FORM  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
Revision  
1.  The Secretariat of the WTO plans to organize a number of specific technical assistance activities 
on the Agreemen t on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS  Agreement) in 
2017. These activities include: the SPS E-Learning course, national SPS seminars, a thematic 
SPS workshop in Geneva, regional SPS workshops2 and an  advanced SPS course.3 These a ctivities 
will primarily focus on the provisions of the SPS Agreement, implementation matters and the latest 
discussions taking place in the SPS Committee.4 The overall objective of the SPS technical 
assistance activities is to enhance the knowledge and ex pertise 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 add itional 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 SPS -specific WTO te chnical assistance 
activit ies planned for 201 7, 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  
 Other SPS Workshops  
 Advanced SPS Course , includ ing the Follow -up Session  
4.  A chronological table with the dates and steps for application for all the SPS -specific technic al 
assistance activities in 201 7 can be found in Annex I . 
                                                
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 Regional SPS Worksh ops will be organized  in 201 7 upon request  from regional organizations . Please 
refer to additional details in Section 4 of this document.  
3 In addition to these SPS -specific technical assistance activities, the WTO offers general training 
courses where the  SPS Agreement is taught, such as Introduction Courses for Least -Developed Countries, 
Regional Trade Policy Courses and Advanced Trade Policy Courses.  
4 The SPS Committee is scheduled to meet three times in 201 7: 22-23 March; 13-14 July; and 
2-3 Novem ber. Informal meetings of the SPS Committee 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.7  
 
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  5.  The structure, content, target audience, pre -requisites, exercises and materi als of these SPS -
specific activities will follow the WTO Progr essive Learning Strategy (PLS).5 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 expected 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 PLS and a table with the level of each of the SPS -specific technical 
assistance activ ities can be found in Annex II.  
1  E-LEARNING COURSE ON T HE 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 provisi ons and principles of the SPS Agreement, the work of the SPS Committee and the SPS 
disputes brought to the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism. During the entire course, participants 
receive personal tutoring from an assigned staff member of the WTO Secretari at who is 
responsible for clarifying and responding to any SPS -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 introductor y-level training available specifically on the 
SPS Agreement.  
7.  The course is available in all three WTO working languages (English, French and Spanish) and 
is divided into nine modules which must be completed within t wo months. At the end of each 
module, pa rticipants are required to take a short online test. The completion of all of these tests 
(with an overall  average of 60%) is required for the successful completion of the course.  
8.  Successful completion of the SPS E-Learning Course is a pre -requisite for pa rticipation in other 
SPS technical assistance activities, such as the Advanced SPS Course. However, successful 
completion of the SPS E-Learning Course does not guarantee  selection for SPS -related training 
events. Government officials who have already succe ssfully completed the SPS E-Learning Course, 
in any of the available languages, are not required to undertake it again.  
9.  The WTO  E-Campus  (http://ecampus.wto.org ) offers the SPS E-Learning Course throughout the 
year. 
10.  While the WTO E -Learning material  can be freely requested through  the WTO E -Campus  
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.  Gover nment officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to register for the SPS 
E-Learning Course must access the WTO E -Learning website ( http://ecampus.wto.org ). In order to 
register for a course, two forms are to be filled-in and submitted:  
a. Online Registration Form:  available at http://ecampus.wto.org . This registration form 
needs to be completed online, 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 at http://ecampus.wto.org . 
The completed nomination form must be s ent 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 foun d on the website http://e campus .wto.org . 
                                                
5 The primary aim of the PLS is to promote higher levels of learning a nd 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.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  2  NATIONAL SPS SEMINAR S 
Level of this activity : 1    3 
13.  WTO developing country Members and Observers are entitled to request nat ional 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 possib le 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 tr aining needs identified 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.  In addition, the Secretariat encourage s Members to 
clearly outline the objectives of national seminars  in the submitted training requests, in order to 
allow the Secretariat to respond more effectively to the training needs of Members.  
15.  To request a national seminar on t he SPS Agreement, Members and  Observers must complete 
and submit a  Technical Assistance National Request form which is available online at: 
https://wto.formstack.com/forms/national_ta_requ ests. 
16.  The Technical Assistance National Request form  must be submitted along with an official letter  
of request , addressed to the Director of the Institute for Training and Technical Co -operation 
(ITTC). Th e form and the official letter should be submitte d online  via the weblink  
(https://wto.formstack.com/forms/national_ta_requests ).  
17.  Due to the increased number of requests received for national SPS seminars in recent years, 
the Secretari at 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 WORKSHO P  
Level of this ac tivity: 1    3  
18.  The Secretariat will organize a special workshop  on the Transparency Provisions of the SPS 
Agreement , to be held in Geneva, Switzerland.  The workshop will take place on Monday, 
30 October  and Tuesday, 31 October  2017. The SPS informal and regular meetings will  be held on 
1-3 November  2017. 
19.  The objective of the workshop is to bring together officials in charge of the implementation of 
the transparency obligations of the SPS Agreement, in part icular SPS enquiry points (NEPs) and 
national notification authorities (NNAs), for an exchange of experiences  on a range of 
transparency -related issues, which are to be identified through discussions in the March and July 
SPS Committee. Officials will also  benefit from hands -on training  on the new online SPS 
Notification Submission System (SPS NSS) , the SPS Information Management System (SPS IMS)  
and the ePing notification alert system.   
20.  The workshop will be  open to participation by all delegates from WTO M embers and Observers 
attending the SPS Committee meeting in November  2017. 
21.  The WTO, with the financial assistance of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund 
(DDAGTF), will sponsor the participation of government officials from developing country Memb ers 
and Observers. The Secretariat will select participants to be sponsored from applications received 
from capital -based officials holding direct responsibilities in the implementation of the 
                                                
6 While every effort will be made to accommodate the requests of Members and Observers, the 
Secretariat cannot guarantee that it will have the necessary resources to undertake  all national seminars 
requested during the year.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement, in particular the  SPS NEPs and NNAs. Exceptions 
will be made for candidates from WTO Members that have not yet designated their SPS enquiry 
point and/or the national notification authority, as well as for WTO Observers, on the basis of 
evidence that the candidate has, or w ill have, responsibilities related to SPS notifications.  
22.  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 SP S Agreement in the recent past.  No more than one participant from 
each country will be selected.  
23.  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/fo rms/2017 -wto-sps-technical -assistanceapplication -
form/ . 
24.  An economy -class round -trip air -ticket (excursion fare, if applicable),  accommodation,  daily 
subsistence allowance and terminal expenses will be provided to the selected participants as of the 
openin g day of the activity.  Other administrative arrangements shall be communicated directly to 
the selected participants in advance of the workshop.  
4  REGIONAL SPS WORKSHO PS 
Level of this activity: 1    3  
4.1  Overv iew 
25.  The Secretariat of the WTO organizes regional 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 national levels. Funding is  available through the Doha 
Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF)  for these workshops . 
26.  The regional workshops also serve as an opportunity for government officials working on SPS 
matters in different developing countries to establish contact with t heir 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.  
27.  These regional workshops may include r epresentatives from Codex, I PPC and OIE as resource 
persons contributing their knowledge and experience in their areas of expertise. In addition, 
relevant international organizations, international and regional development institutions and 
organizations, as well as other technical as sistance organizations and bilateral donors involved in 
SPS matters, may be invited to inform participants of their latest activities.  
4.2  Regional SPS Workshops in 201 7 
28.  In order to deliver more effective and tailored regional workshops, t he WTO Secretariat will be 
working collaboratively with regional organizations  to specifically address SPS-related  training 
needs identified within regions. Using this approach, the WTO Secretariat will schedule  regional 
SPS workshops in 201 7, upon request from regional organi zations.  
29.  To request a regional workshop on the SPS Agreement, regional organizations (or a Member 
in conjunction with a regional organization ) must submit an official letter indicating the purpose 
and expected outcome  of the workshop , their expected contri bution , as well as  the proposed dates  
and venue . This formal request should be addressed to the Director of the Institute for Training 
and Technical Co -operation (ITTC)  and sent by fax to: +41 22 739 57 64.  
30.  Programmes, prerequisites and selection criteria will be defined for each requested activity.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  31.  Based on requests received, t wo regional workshops on the SPS Agreement will be organized 
in 2017:  
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America , with a focus on good regulatory practice,  (co-
organized with the Inter -American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) ; and 
 Follow -up Regional SPS Workshop for Arab countries (co -organized with the IMF -Middle 
East Centre for Economics and Finance) . 
32.  Specific information and instructions for each of these two activities can be found in Annex  IV. 
4.3  Selection Process  
33.  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 applications 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 participan ts' 
specializations, countries of origin and gender.  
34.  The Secretariat will select a maximum of thirty participants for each Regional SPS Workshop. 
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 and provisions of the SPS Agreement.  
35.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to apply for participation in 
the regional workshops must consult the instructions provided in Anne x IV, and complete and 
submit the online application form available at:  
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2017 -wto-sps-technical -assistanceapplication -
form/ . 
36.  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.  
37.  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 transport airport -hotel-airport). The WTO will also 
provide the confirmed participants with 100 Swiss Francs lump sum for their out of pocket 
expenses. 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 select ed participants in advance of each activity.  
4.4  Pre-requisites for Participation  
38.  Preference will be given to those candidates that have succe ssfully completed the WTO SPS 
E-Learning Course7 by the time  they submit their application. All participants are expe cted to have 
completed the WTO SPS E -Learning Course be fore the start of the workshop.8 See Section 1 
regarding enrolment in the WTO SPS E-Learning Course.  
                                                
7 For the Regional SPS Workshop f or Latin America, preference will also be given to candidates who 
have completed an equivalent course (e.g. IDB SPS E -Learning Course ). 
8 See previous footnote.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  39.  For the Follow -up Regional SPS Workshop for Arab countries , preference will be given 
to participants  that attended the pre vious workshop  held in January 2016 ( in Kuwait City ), and 
only a limited number of new participants may be selected.   
5  OTHER SPS WORKSHOPS  
40.  At the request of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the WTO is 
planning to  jointly organize a Follow -up W orkshop9 on the SPS and TBT Agreements for IGAD 
members in the last quarter of 2017 . Further information on this activity will be made  available by 
the IGAD Secretariat ( icpald@igad.int ). 
41.  The Secretariat is also planning to  organize  a joint workshop on the SPS and TBT Agreements 
for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, at the request of the GCC St andardization 
Organization (GSO). This workshop will focus on the transparency obligations under the SPS and 
TBT Agreement s and is expected  to be held in October 2017. Further information on this activity 
will be made available by the GSO Secretariat ( csc@gso.org.sa ). 
42.  In addition, the WTO Secretariat will par ticipate in other SPS technical assistance activities at 
the request of other organizations, where possible.  
6  ADVANCED SPS COURSE AND FOLLOW -UP SESSION  
Level of this activity: 1    3 
6.1  Overview  
43.  The 201 7 Advan ced SPS Course will be held from 23 October  to 10 November  2017 in 
Geneva, Switzerland, in English . This course is an in -depth and "hands -on" training activity on the 
SPS Agreement conceived to encourage the active involvement and leadership of participant s 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 de veloping countries in enhancing 
their part icipation in the SPS Committee.  
44.  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 
deepenin g participants' understanding of the SPS Agreement. In the second week, participants will 
take part in the thematic workshop, and attend the SPS Committee meetings, with a view to 
learning how the Committee works in practice, so as to become familiar with the rules and 
procedures of the Committee and to participate in its discussions. In the third week, participants 
will share their experiences and will strengthen their knowledge  on how to improve the 
implementation of specific provisions of the SPS Agreeme nt, 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 addr essed. The course is complemented 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 development and implementation of thei r own action 
plans. A number of external experts, including from Codex, IPPC and OIE, will participate in parts 
of the course.  
45.  Each participant will be required to elaborate an action plan with the assistance of coaches. 
This plan should address one or two  specific implementation and/or market access challenges 
encountered in their countries. During the 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 .  
46.  A follow -up session will be organized in June /July 2018, where participants to the Advanced 
SPS Course will report on the implementation of their action plans.  
                                                
9 A first Regional SPS and TBT Workshop for IGAD members  was held in May 2015 , also at IGAD's 
request.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  47.  At the tim e of their application  for this course,  candidates will be asked to provide preliminary 
ideas for  an action plan which  they will further develop  during the course.  
6.2  Selection Process  
48.  The Secretariat will select a maximum of twenty -five participants for the Advanced 
SPS Course. The target audience for this course are 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 leadersh ip; and  
c. fluent in oral and written English . 
49.  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/2017 -wto-sps-
technical -assistanceapplication -form/ . 
50.  The Secretariat will inform Members' and Obs ervers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. , mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candidates from their government before the final 
selection.  
51.  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 arrangements will be communicated di rectly to the 
selected participants in advance of the course.  
6.3  Pre-requisites for Participation  
52.  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 Course 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.7  
 
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SPS-SPECIFIC TEC HNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIV ITIES IN 201 7 – 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  
2017 Advanced 
SPS Course  
(in English ) SPS E -Learning Course * 
 
Completion and submission of 
pre-course questionnaire   
Applications accepted until  
9 June  Results 
of 
selection   Submission of 
response  
to the 
questionnaire  Course from  
23 Oct. - 10 Nov.   
Thematic SPS 
Workshop  on 
Transparency  
(English, French 
and Spanish)   Only for government officials 
in charge of the 
implementation of the 
transparency provisi ons of the 
SPS Agreement, in particular 
SPS NEPs and NNAs   
Applications accepted until  
9 June  Results 
of 
selection    
Workshop  
30-31 Oct.   
Regional SPS 
Workshop for 
Latin America  
(in Spanish)  SPS E -Learning Course*   
(or an equivalent course) ** Applicati ons 
accepted until  
7 April  
 Results 
of 
selection  Workshop  
Week of 
12 June     
   
Follow -up 
Regional SPS 
Workshop for 
Arab Countries  
(in English ) SPS E -Learning Course*  
 
Preference will be given to 
funded participants that 
attended the previous 
workshop held in January 
2016 (in Kuwait City), and 
only a limited number of new 
participants may be selected.   
 
 
Applications accepted until  
9 June   Results 
of 
selection  
 Workshop  
Week of 
19 Nov .  
 Although E -Learning courses are available throughout the year , the completion of each course must take place within t wo months from the start date.  
* 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 E -Learning Course before the start of the workshop. Further information can be found in Section 1 of this document.  
** For the Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America, preference will also be given to candidates who have compl eted an equivalent course (e.g. IDB SPS E -Learning Course).  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  ANNEX II  
PROGRESSIVE LEARNING  STRATEGY1 
SPS-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL A SSISTANCE (TA) ACTIV ITIES  
1.  In order to respond to the need for greater coherence and complementarity in WTO capacity -
building, the I nstitute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) has developed a progressive 
strategy to promote higher levels of learning and encourage the development of participants ' 
autonomy . This is  with a view to build and sustain the long -lasting human and in stitutional 
capacity of beneficiary countries  to participate mo re effectively in the rules -based multilateral 
trading system.  
2.  In this regard, two broad categories of participants in WTO capacity -building have been 
identified:  
a. "Generalists"  are government o fficials 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 government officials who will require in -depth knowledge in a specific 
area, such as 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 assista nce 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-speci fic 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 learning 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", the E -Learning "Course  on the SPS Agre ement " is the most introductory -level training available 
specifically on the SPS Agreement.  
3 National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) 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 consultations with the beneficiary Member durin g 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 challeng es and coordination matters. 
In determi ning 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 w ell as the overall level amongst the selected candidates.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  ANNEX III  
THEMATIC SPS WORKSHO P IN 201 7 
Title of the  
activity  Thematic SPS Workshop on Transparency  
Dates  30 to 31 October  2017 
Venue  Geneva, Switzerland  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers  WTO least -developed and developing country Members and Observ ers 
Pre-requisites for 
funding  Only for government off icials in charge of the implementation of the 
transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement, in particular the SPS 
Enquiry Point(s) or the SPS National Notification Authority . 
Exceptions will be made for candidates from WTO Members or Observers 
that have no t yet designated either their SPS Enquiry Point or the SPS 
National Notification Authority, on the basis of evidence that the candidate 
will have responsibilities directly related to SPS.  
Preference will be given to applications from least -developed count ries 
(LDCs), and from developing country Members and Observers that have not 
been sponsored to participate in a workshop on transparency in the SPS 
Agreement in the recent past. No more than one participant from each 
country will be selected.  
Fluent in eit her English, French or Spanish.  
Application  Candidates must fill -in and submit the online application form which is 
available at:  
 
https://world tradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2017 -wto-sps-technical -
assistanceapplication -form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the  online application form before 
9 June 2017. 
 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after  the deadline will not be considered.  
 
Results  of the 
selection  Only selected candidates w ill be informed about the results of the selection 
during July 201 7. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
For administrative purposes, s elected cand idates 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.7  
 
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  ANNEX IV 
REGIONAL SPS WORKSHO PS IN 201 7 
Title of the 
activity  Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America , with a foc us on good 
regulatory practice,  (co-organized with the Inter-American Institute for 
Cooperation on Agriculture ) 
Dates  Week of 12 June 2016  
Venue  San José, C osta Rica   
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers  Argentina;  Bolivia,  Plurinational State of;  Brazil ; Chile;  Colombia ; 
Costa  Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic ; Ecuador ; El Salvador ; Guatemala;  
Honduras ; Mexico ; Nicaragua ; Panama ; Paraguay ; Peru; Uruguay ; 
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of . 
Pre-requisites  Preference will be given to those candidates that ha ve successfully 
completed the WTO SPS E -Learning Course (or an equivalent course  e.g. 
IDB SPS E -Learning Course ) by the time of their application. All participants 
are expected to have completed the WTO SPS E -Learning Course  (or an 
equivalent course  e.g. I DB SPS E -Learning Course ) before the start of the 
workshop. The WTO SPS E-Learning Course is available at: 
http://ecampus.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in Spanish. 
Application  Candidates must fill -in and submit the online applic ation form which is 
available at:  
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2017 -wto-sps-technical -
assistanceapplication -form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before  
7 April  2017. 
 
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 May 2017. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
For administrative  purposes, s elected candidates will be required to 
immediately provide their passport information, including number, plac e 
and date of issue, and date of expiry.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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Title of the 
activity  Follow -up Regional SPS Workshop for Arab Countries  (co-organized 
with the IMF-Middle East Centre for Economics and Finance ) 
Dates  Week of 19 November 2017   
Venue  Kuwait City, the State of Kuwait  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers  Algeria;  Bahrain, Kingdom of ; Djibouti;  Egypt; Iraq; Jordan;  Kuwait, the 
State of ; Leban ese Republic ; Libya;  Mauritania;  Morocco; Oman;  Qatar;  
Saudi  Arabia, Kingdom of ; Sudan;  Syrian Arab Republic;  Tunisia;  United  
Arab Emirates;  Yemen.  
Pre-requisites  Preference will be given to participants who were funded to attend the 2016 
Regional SPS Workshop for Arab countries (held in Kuwait City, the State of 
Kuwait on 25 -28 January 2016). However, a limited number of new 
participants may be selected.  
 
Preference will also 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://ecampus.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/2017 -wto-sps-technical -
assistanceapplication -form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before  
9 June 201 7. 
 
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 2017 . 
Administrative and l ogistical information will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
For administrative  purposes, s elected candidates will be required to 
immediately provide their passport information, including number, place 
and date of issue, and date of exp iry. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.7  
 
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  ANNEX V 
2017 ADVANCED SPS COURSE  
Title of the 
activity  2017 Advanced SPS Course (in English ) 
Dates  23 October to 10 November  2017 
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 s uccessfully completed the WTO               
SPS E-Learning Course by the time of their application. Applications from 
candid ates who have n ot successfully completed the SPS E-Learning Course 
on the SPS Agreemen t will not be considered. The  E-Learning Course is 
available at: http://ecampus.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 English . 
Application  Candidates must fill -in and submit the online application form w hich is 
available at:  
 
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2017 -wto-sps-technical -
assistanceapplication -form/  
 
At the time of their ap plication, candidates will also be asked to provide  
preliminary ideas for an action plan which  they will undertake during the 
course,  aimed at  address ing an implementation and/or market access 
challenge that they have identified in their country.  
Candidate s should complete and submit the online application form before 
9 June 2017. 
 
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 201 7. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
For administrative  purposes, s elected candidates will be required to 
immediately provide their passport information, including number, pla ce 
and date of issue, and date of expiry.  
 
__________