G/SPS/GEN/1628  
25 June 2018 
(18-3982) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
ACTIONS AIMED AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO AGREEMENT  
ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY THE INTER -AMERICAN INSTITUTE  
FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE ( IICA)  
The following communication, received on 2 2 June 2018, is being circulated at the request of 
the IICA. 
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The observer organizations of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS Committee) are invited to submit repo rts on the activities they have carried out to promote 
the understanding and implementation of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) . The IICA would like to present some of the actions and 
activities that i t considers relevant to the work of this Committee . 
 
1  SUPPORT FOR MULTILATERAL FORUMS ASSOCIATED WITH SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
 Interregional Codex Colloquium : On 5 and 6 June, an interregional codex colloquium was 
held for countries of Latin Amer ica and the Caribbean, Africa and North America . It was 
attended by 52 delegates from 35 countries , two regional organizations and a 
Vice-Chairperson of Codex Alimentarius . 
 
The purpose of the event was to foster dialogue between the CCLAC, CCAFRICA and No rth 
America regions on the most important issues addressed  during the  Codex  Alimentarius 
Commission meeting (CAC41) , and to identify topics of common interest in order to 
strengthen the negotiating position of the regions . The Colloquium was funded by the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  
 Virtual Codex Colloquia : In the period 2 0 February  to 2 2 March , four virtual 
Codex  Alimentarius colloquia , relating to four different Codex committees (CCFA – CCCF – 
CCRVDF – CCPR), were held . On average , 27 countries and 54 delegates participated, 
signalling success in the use of information and communication technologies for 
coordinating and fostering dialogue between countries . These events received technical 
and financial support from USDA.  
 
 Promotion of participation in Codex Alimentarius meetings : During this first half year, 
the Programme to Promote Participation in Codex Alimentarius Meetings facilitated the 
participation of 15 countries in the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Dru gs in 
Foods (CCRVDF), of three countries in the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR), 
and of 17 countries in the Codex Commission (CAC41) . The purpose of this programme , 
which receives financial support from USDA,  is to help the CCLAC countries and  region to 
increase and improve their participation  in the respective meetings.  
 
 Virtual coordination sessions : The support that IICA provides to CCLAC countries in the 
area of communication and coordination includes, prior to each Codex meeting, the 
provision of a virtual communication platform to enable coordination between the 
countries.  G/SPS/GEN/1628  
- 2 - 
   Twinning programmes : Between June and August , we are finalizing the twinning 
programmes that are intended to build capacities in regard to the Codex Alimentarius . The 
beneficiary countries will be Honduras, Guatemala, Peru and the Dominican  Republic, while 
the cooperating countries are Chile, the United States and Brazil . The twinning projects will 
focus on the development of institutional, scientific and promotional  capacities.  
 
 Workshop o n the exchange of information between importing and exporting countries to 
support trade in food and future guidelines on the equivalence of systems : With support 
from the Government of New Zealand, this initiative was implemented i n the interests of 
fostering the exchange of experience between the countries of Central America and 
the Pacific Alliance , and of discussing the Codex standards in greater detail . The workshop 
was held on 19 and 20  June in Costa Rica and was attended by 11  countries.  
 
 IPPC regional workshops for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean : From 28  to 
31 August, a review of CIPF standards will be held in Natal (Brazil) for countries of 
Latin America . Twenty countries from the region will be able to participate in the event, 
which will be organized jointly by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Andean  Community 
(CAN), the Southern Cone Plant Health Committee (COSAVE), the International Regional 
Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) and Brazil's National Plant Protection 
Organization (NPPO) . There will also be a review of standards for the countries of the 
Caribbean region, to be held in the week of 1 7 September  in Puerto España (Trinidad and 
Tobago), in which all the countries of the region that belong to the CIPM may participate.  
 
 The WTO dispute settlement system  and its relationship to sanitary and phyto sanitary 
(SPS) measures : On 13 June, a virtual technical forum on the WTO dispute settlement 
system and its relationship to SPS measures was held . The event was organized by 
the IICA, the WTO through the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (IT TC), the 
Division of Legal Affairs and the Secretar y of the SPS Committee . The Government of 
Canada also participated through  "Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada (AAFC) ". 
 
The purpose of the event  was to foster an opportunity for reflection on the WTO's dispute 
settlement mechanisms and their contribution to SPS systems, especially in developing 
countries . Event participants analysed the dispute settlement mechanism and the 
instruments available to the WTO's SPS Committee, such as the Catalogue of Instrum ents 
for the Management of SPS Issues.  
 
2  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
2.1  Institutional modernization  
 Jamaica : From 15 to 2 2 January , at the request of t he Ministry of Agriculture, 
the Performance, Vision and Strategy tools were implemented in the areas of plant health, 
food safety and veterinary services.  
 
 Nicaragua : From 2 to 1 3 April, at the request of t he Ministry of Agriculture, 
the Performance , Vision and Strategy tools were implemented in the areas of plant health 
and food safety.  
 
 Dominican Republic : From 2 3 April to 5 May, at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, 
the Performance, Vision and Strategy tools were implemented in the areas of plant health, 
food safety and veterinary services.  
 
 As part of a process of ongoing improvement and with the aim of optimizi ng financial and 
technical resources and broadening the scope of the PVS process, the IICA has adapted its 
tools for veterinary services, plant health and food safety to the virtual modality in English 
and Spanish.  G/SPS/GEN/1628  
- 3 - 
  2.2  International standards and regulations in regard to SPS  measures  
2.2.1   United States /FSMA  
 A training for trainers course on the FSMA rule on  fresh produc e was held 
from 6 to 9 March, with USAID and USDA FAS resources and with support from JIFSAN.  
 
 An FSMA workshop for importers was held on 3 April with the aim of enhancing their 
understanding of the FSMA rules on foreign supplier verification , sanitary transportation, 
fresh produce and preventive controls for human food s. 
 
 Strategic FSMA workshops were held in the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and T obago and 
Barbados) and South America (Paraguay, Peru and Colombia) . The first of these were held 
in Jamaica on 31 May and 1 June, and in Colombia on 21 and 2 2 June, for the purpose of 
working with government representatives to identify a relevant plan of action at the local 
and regional levels.  
 
 The following actions are being implemented w ithin the framework of the strategic alliance 
with the FDA:  
 
 Webinar on the FSMA rule on foreign supplier verification – 17 April. 
 Webinar on the Accredited Third-party Certification Programme and Voluntary 
Qualified Importer Programme  – 10 July. 
 Training for trainers workshop on the regulations governing fresh produce in Mexico, 
with support  from JIFSAN and in coordination with SENASICA.  
 A regional workshop will be held from 17 to 2 1 September  to support the training of 
lead trainers on the rule governing fresh pr oduce for Latin America and 
the Caribbean, with support from JIFSAN and the Fresh Produce Alliance.  
 During the period 13 to 3 1 August , training workshops will be  held for lead 
instructors on the preventive controls for human fo ods rule, with support from 
the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, in Mexico, Chile and Ecuador.  
2.2.2   Canad a/Regulatory framework  
 On 26 and 2 7 February  and 2 March , with support from the C anadian Food Inspection 
Agency, technical assistance workshops on the Canadian regulatory framework for food 
safety were held in Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala.  
 
2.2.3   Webinar on electronic certifica tion of SPS measures  
 To be held on 2 8 June for the purpose of  sharing information with Caribbean countries that 
are using the ASYCUDA system  for the customs clearance of agricultural products . This 
initiative is being carried out in association with the Government of the Netherlands and 
FAO. 
 
For further information, please contact Robert Ahern (Robert.ahern@iica.int ), Inter-American 
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) , Agricultural Health and Food Safety , 
http://www.iica.int . 
 
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