G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6  
 
23 February 2016  
(16-1105)  Page: 1/10  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN 2016: 
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 
2016. These activities include: the SPS E-Learni ng course, national SPS seminars, a thematic 
SPS workshop in Geneva, regional SPS workshops2 and an advanced SPS course.3 These activities 
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 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 SPS-specific WTO technical assistance 
activities planned for 2016, 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 2016 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 thei r rights and obligations under the WTO. 
2 Regional SPS Workshops will be organized in 2016 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 2016: 16-17 March; 6-7 July; and 
26-27 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.6 
 
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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).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 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 PLS 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 working languages (English, French and Spanish) and 
is divided into nine modules which must be completed within two months. At the end of each 
module, participants 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 participation 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 su ccessfully 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.  Government 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 
c o m p l e t e d  n o m i n a t i o n  f o r m  m u s t  b e  s e n t  e i t h e r  b y  e m a i l  ( s c a n n e d )  t o  
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://ecampus.wto.org . 
                                               
5 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.6 
 
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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 need s on the SPS Agreement and its implementation. 
In this regard, the programmes for national semina rs 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. In addition, the Secretariat encourages 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 the 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_requests . 
16.  The formal request must be submitted along wi th 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 be submitted online via the weblink 
(https://wto.formstack.com/forms/national_ta_requests ).  
17.  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  
18.  The Secretariat will organize a special SPS thematic workshop, to be held in Geneva, 
Switzerland. The specific topic of this thematic workshop will be confirmed following discussions in 
the 2016 March SPS Committee meeting.7 The workshop will take place on Monday, 24 October 
and Tuesday, 25 October 2016. The SPS informal and regular meetings will be held on 26-27 October 2016. 
19.  The workshop will be open to participatio n by all delegates from WTO Members and Observers 
attending the SPS Committee meeting in October 2016. 
20.  The WTO, with the financial assistance of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund 
(DDAGTF), will sponsor the participation of govern ment officials from developing country Members 
and Observers. The Secretariat will select participants to be sponsored from applications received from capital-based officials holding direct responsibilities in the SPS area. 
21.  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. 
                                               
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. 
7 Following the March SPS Committee, the Secretariat will circulate additional information on this 
workshop via an addendum to G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6 
 
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  22.  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/2 016-wto-sps-technical-assistanceapplication-
form/ . 
23.  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 
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 
24.  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 national levels. Funding is available through the Doha 
Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) for these workshops. 
25.  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. 
26.  These regional workshops may include representatives from Codex, IPPC and OIE as resource 
persons contributing their knowledge and experien ce in their areas of expertise. In addition, 
relevant international organizations, international and regional development institutions and organizations, as well as other technical assistance organizations and bilateral donors involved in 
SPS matters, may be invited to inform participants of their latest activities. 
4.2  Regional SPS Workshops in 2016 27.  In order to deliver more effective and tailored regional workshops, the WTO Secretariat will be 
working collaboratively with regional organization s to specifically address SPS-related training 
needs identified within regions. Using this approach, the WTO Secretariat will schedule regional SPS workshops in 2016, upon request from regional organizations.  
28.  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 expect ed contribution and the proposed dates. 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.  
29.  Programmes, prerequisites and selection criter ia will be defined for each requested activity. 
5  ADVANCED SPS COURSE AND FOLLOW-UP SESSION 
Level of this activity: 1 
   3 
5.1  Overview 
30.  The 2016 Advanced SPS Course will be held from 17 October to 4 November 2016  in 
Geneva, Switzerland, in French . 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. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6 
 
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  31.  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 
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 streng then their knowledge on 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. 
32.  Each participant will be required to elaborat e 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.  
33.  A follow-up session will be organized in June/July 2017, where participants to the Advanced 
SPS Course will report on the implementation of their action plans. 
34.  At the time of their application for this cour se, candidates will be asked to provide preliminary 
ideas for an action plan which they will further develop during the course. 
5.2  Selection Process 
35.  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 French. 
36.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to apply for the Advanced 
SPS Course must consult the instructions provided in Annex IV, and complete and submit the online application form available at: https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2016-wto-sps-
technical-assistanceapplication-form/ . 
37.  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. 
38.  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. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6 
 
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  5.3  Pre-requisites for Participation 
39.  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.6  
 
- 7 - ANNEX I 
SPS-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTI VITIES IN 2016 – 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 
2016 Advanced 
SPS Course  
(in French) SPS E-Learning 
Course* 
 
Completion and 
submission of pre-
course questionnaire  
Applications accepted until 
3 June . Results 
of 
selection  
Submission of 
response 
to the 
questionnaire Course from 
17 Oct.- 4 Nov.   
Thematic SPS 
Workshop 
 (Specific topic to be 
confirmed)   Only for government 
officials holding direct 
responsibilities in the 
SPS area  
Applications accepted until 
3 June . Results 
of 
selection   
Workshop  
24-25 Oct.    
 Although the E-learning courses are availabl e throughout the year, its completion must take place within two months of having s tarted the process. 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.6 
 
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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 online 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 semina rs, 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.6 
 
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  ANNEX III 
THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP IN 2016 
Title of the 
activity Thematic SPS Workshop (Specific topic to be confirmed)  
Dates 24 to 25 October 2016 
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/2016-wto-sps-technical-
assistanceapplication-form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before 
3 June 2016 . 
 
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 2016. 
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.6 
 
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  ANNEX IV 
2016 ADVANCED SPS COURSE 
Title of the 
activity 2016 Advanced SPS Course (in French) 
Dates 17 October to 4 November 2016 
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://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 French. 
Application Candidates must fill-in and submit the online application form which is 
available at: 
 https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2016-wto-sps-technical-
assistanceapplication-form/  
 
At the time of their application, candidates will also be asked to provide preliminary ideas for an action plan which they will undertake during the 
course, aimed at addressing an implementation and/or market access 
challenge that they have identified in their country. 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form before 
3 June 2016 . 
 
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 2016. 
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. 
 
__________