G/SPS/GEN/1651  
 
11 October 2018 
(18-6305) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL ASS ISTANCE TO DEVELOPIN G COUNTRIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM CANADA  
The follow ing communication, received on 10 October 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Canada . 
 
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1.  Canada would like to provide an update regarding the provision of technical assistance from 
January to December 2017.1 Technical assistance has been provided to developing and least 
developed countries in accordance with Article 9 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary 
and Phytosanitar y Measures. The assistance was primarily aimed at facilitating the development and 
implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures based on sound science. The attached table 
reflects Canadian technical assistance to developing and least dev eloped cou ntries in 2017. 
While  every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the table presents all 
relevant technical assistance projects, it may not constitute a complete compilation of technical 
assistance delivered given the number of Canad ian government departments and agencies and the 
variety of delivery programs involved.  
2.  The monetary value of the technical assistance committe d amounted to approximately 
CDN $12.58 million between January and December 2017. It should be noted that, in many  cases, 
the organizations providing the assistance also made additional in -kind contributions to projects.  
3.  Assistance was provided to more than 42 countries – in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America 
and the Caribbean, Central Asia and the Asia -Pacific reg ion. Assistance was directed to both 
individual countries, groups of countries, and to international organizations.  
4.  Canada 's assistance addressed three of the four broad categories listed in G/SPS/GEN/206: 
information; training; and "soft" infrastructure d evelopment (but not "hard" infrastructure 
development). Assistance from Canada covered most of the "typical areas of competence" listed 
under the headings of food safety, animal health and plant protection, in the Annex of 
G/SPS/GEN/206.  
5.  In all, 29 project s are listed for the period January to December 2017. Some of the projects listed 
are multi -year projects; however, projects are only reported once and generally in the year in which 
the project is initiated unless subsequent funded project extensions occu r. 
                                                
1 Canada has provided technical assistance updates for 2016 (G/SPS/GEN/1584), 2015 
(G/SPS/GEN/1522), 2014 (G/SPS/GEN/1426), 2013 (G/SPS/GEN/1342), 2012 (G/SPS/GEN/1318), 2011 
(G/SPS/GEN/1196), 2010 (G/SPS/GEN/1149), 2009 (G/SPS/GEN/1099), 2008 (G/SPS/GEN/1027), 2007 
(G/SPS/GEN/1008), 2005 -2006 (G/SPS/GEN/765), 2000 -2004 (G/SPS/GEN/728), and for years prior to 2000 
(G/SPS/GEN/143/Rev.1/Add.1 ). G/SPS/GEN/1651  
 
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  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED BY CANADA  
JANUARY - DECEMBER 2 017 
Sector  Description of Particular 
Programme  Form of 
Assistance  Provided 
to Contact  
Animal 
Health  Training provided on 
diagnostics and viral 
characterization of rabies, 
scrapies  and chronic wasting 
disease to scientists from the 
Centre for Animal Disease 
Diagnostics.  
(May 2017)  Training  Peru Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health  Study tour on slaughter 
inspection and surveillance.  
(June 2017)  Information  Korea, 
Republic of  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health  Questionnaire on inspection 
systems.  
(June 2017)  Information  Korea, 
Republic of  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health  Technical expertise and speaker 
at a World Organization for 
Animal Health (OIE) Regional 
Workshop on facilitating trade.  
(August 2017)  Training  Argentina +  
25 OIE 
member 
countries in 
the 
Americas  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health  Training provided on risk 
analysis, risk assessment, risk 
communication, and risk 
management to animal health  
technical experts.  
(November 2017)  Training  Mexico  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health  Engineered vaccines against 
hemorrhagic septicemia  in 
ruminants. Lead institution is 
the University of Calgary. 
Partner institutions are the 
University of Toronto, 
University of Saskatchewan, 
National Vaccine Institute (NVI) 
and Armauer Hansen Research 
Institute in Ethiopia, and the 
National Centre for An imal 
Health in Bhutan. Training is 
occurring with veterinarians 
and lab staff at the partner 
institutions.  
(March 2017)  Training  Bhutan, 
Ethiopia  Ktiessen@idrc.ca  
Animal 
Health  Training for staff and post -
doctorate fellows from the 
Institut  Pasteur de Tunis (IPT) 
in Tunisia and the National 
Vaccine Institute (NVI) in 
Ethiopia on a non -replicative 
adenovirus vaccine platform for 
poultry diseases.  
(March 2017)  Training  Ethiopia, 
Tunisia  Ktiessen@idrc.ca  
Animal 
Health  A project aimed to refine and 
field test novel livestock 
vaccines for viral diseases in 
Africa, including Lumpy Skin 
Disease, Rift Valley Fever, 
African Swine Fever, and 
others. This project was part of 
the Canadian International Food 
Security Research Fund 
(CIFSRF) initiati ve. 
(March 2017)  Technical/  
Scientific 
Support  Kenya, 
South Africa  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  G/SPS/GEN/1651  
 
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  Sector  Description of Particular 
Programme  Form of 
Assistance  Provided 
to Contact  
Animal 
Health  A project aimed to develop a 
vaccine prototype for 
Contagious Bovine 
Pleuropneumonia, a bacterial 
respiratory disease in cattle 
that has serious economic and 
trade consequences for African 
nations. This project was part 
of the Canadian International 
Food Security Research Fund 
(CIFSRF) initiative.  
(March 2017)  Technical/  
Scientific 
Support  Kenya  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Food 
Safety  Study Tour to understand 
organizational structure of the 
Canadian competent authority 
to inform and redesign the 
organizational structure of the 
competent authority under a 
new proposed food safety 
system in Nigeria.  
(January 2017)  Information  Niger ia Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Technical cooperation mission 
conducted under offshore 
preventive control activities to 
mitigate non -compliance of 
imported food products.  
(February 2017)  Information  India Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Information related to national 
food contaminants monitoring 
program in Canada.  
(March 2017)  Information  Mauritius  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Information on Canadian 
authority, regulations and 
procedures in sampling of 
imported food items.  
(March 2017)  Information  Dubai  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Information on best practices in 
understanding Canada’s food 
safety system.  
(April 2017)  Information  Indonesia  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Information shared on 
laboratory management and 
operation of a national 
laboratory network.  
(April 2017)  Information  India Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Strengthen the capacity of 
CARICOM National Codex 
Offices: To improve their 
organizational structure, 
operating frameworks and 
governance.   
 (June 2017)  Training  CARICOM  Steven.savoury@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  To share information on 
agricultural products from the 
Ukraine and inform on other 
issues related to the 
implementation of the Canada -
Ukraine free trade agreement.  
(November 2017)  Information  Ukraine  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Training in a workshop to 
increase awareness and 
knowledge of Canada’s food 
safety and surveillance system 
on the margins of a Regional 
INFOSAN meeting with 
CARICOM members in Miami.  
(November 2017)  Training  CARICOM  Rolf.Schoenert@canada.ca  G/SPS/GEN/1651  
 
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  Sector  Description of Particular 
Programme  Form of 
Assistance  Provided 
to Contact  
Food 
Safety  Inter-American Institute for 
Cooperation on Agriculture 
(IICA) technical training 
seminar to help developing 
countries and emerging 
economies participation in 
global work related to scientific 
advice for maximum residue 
levels (MRLs) for pesticides.  
(April  2017)  Funding  Developing 
countries in 
Latin 
America 
(IICA 
members ) Brent.Wilson@canada.ca  
Food 
Safety  Inclusion of phytosanitary 
requirements as pertains to 
exporting food to Canada in 
seminars delivered to Small and 
Medium sized  Enterprises 
(SMEs), Exporters and Trade 
Support Institutions through 
the Canadian Market Access 
and Capacity Building Services 
Project.  
(April 2017)  Information  Bolivia,  
Plurinational 
State of; 
Chile; 
Colombia; 
Ecuador ; 
Egypt; 
Jordan; 
Mexico; 
Peru; 
Sri Lanka; 
Tunisia  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Food 
Safety  Inclusion of phytosanitary 
requirements as pertains to 
exporting food to Canada in 
seminars delivered to 
Canadian -based trade 
representatives through the 
Canadian Market Access and 
Capacity Building Services 
Project.  
(April 2017)  Information  Afghanistan, 
Chile, 
Colombia, 
Costa Rica, 
Dominican 
Republic, 
Ecuador, 
El Salvador, 
Jamaica, 
Malaysia, 
Mexico, 
Philippines, 
South 
Africa, 
Thailand, 
Viet Nam Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Food 
Safety  Webinars delivered to Small 
and Medium sized Enterprises 
(SMEs) and Trade Support 
Institutions through the 
Canadian Market Access and 
Capacity Building Services 
Project.  
(April 2017)  Information  Participants 
from 
developing 
countries  Frank.Schn eider@international.gc.ca  
Food 
Safety  Market Entry Studies containing 
information pertaining to 
phytosanitary regulations 
through the Canadian Market 
Access and Capacity Building 
Services Project.  
(April 2017)  Information  Bolivia, 
Plurinational 
State of;  
Cambodia; 
Nicaragua; 
Philippines  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Food 
Safety  Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) 
Canada online platform 
regarding phytosanitary 
requirements, regulations and 
Market Information Papers 
through the Canadian Market 
Access and Capacity Building 
Services Project.  
(April 2017)  Information 
online and 
links to 
regulations  Downloaded 
by 
thousands 
of SMEs 
from 
developing 
countries  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  G/SPS/GEN/1651  
 
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  Sector  Description of Particular 
Programme  Form of 
Assistance  Provided 
to Contact  
Animal 
Health 
& Food 
Safety  Funding to Veterinarians 
Without Borders  (VWB), to 
support volunteer advisor 
assignments to: (1) small scale 
farmers on producing more and 
better food from livestock; (2) 
work with local partners to help 
create integrated animal health 
systems and; (3) help build 
local capacity in care and 
manag ement of animal health.  
(April 2017)  Training/  
Technical 
Support  Ghana, 
Kenya, 
Lao People' s 
Democratic 
Republic , 
Tanzania, 
Uganda, 
Viet Nam Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Animal 
Health 
& Food 
Safety  Training sessions presented by 
volunteer agricultural advisors 
to improve the productivity and 
profitability of family farms in 
these countries while 
strengthening the performance 
and governance of the 
organizations that support 
them.  
(April 2017)  Training  Benin;  
Bolivia, 
Plurinational 
State of; 
Burkina 
Faso; El 
Salvador; 
Haiti;  
Senegal  Frank.Schneider@international.gc.ca  
Plant 
Health 
& Food 
Safety  Support to the Inter -American 
Institute for Cooperation on 
Agriculture (IICA) to assist 
developing countries and 
emerging economies in Latin 
America and the Caribbean to 
participate in global work 
related to scientific advice for 
maximum residue levels (MRLs) 
for pesticides.  
(November 2017)  Training  IICA 
member 
developing 
countries  Brent.Wilson@canada.ca  
Animal 
Health, 
Plant 
Health 
& Food 
Safety  Food & Agriculture Organi zation 
(FAO) Codex Trust Fund 
contribution to assist 
developing countries and 
countries in transition to 
strengthen their capacity to 
fully participate in CODEX.  
(April 2017)  Funding  Includes 
WTO 
Member 
developing 
countries  Brent.Wilson @canada.ca  
Animal 
Health, 
Plant 
Health 
& Food 
Safety  Contribution to World Trade 
Organiz ation (WTO) – 
Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF) to 
improve regulatory and 
technical capacity development 
and use of standards to 
facilitate trade.  
(April  2017)  Funding  Includes 
WTO 
Member 
developing 
countries  Brent.Wilson@canada.ca  
 
 
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