G/SPS/GEN/1676  
 
20 February 2019  
(19-0994) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
SPS COMMITTEE THEMAT IC SESSION ON ENABLI NG ACCESS TO TOOLS A ND 
TECHNOLOGIES: FALL A RMYWORM CASE STUDY  
TUESDAY, 19 MARCH 20 19 
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
PROGRAMME  
In the context of the Fifth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, 
Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar, Paraguay, the United States of America  and Uruguay submitted a joint 
proposal for the Committee  on the role of the WTO SPS Agreement in enabling access to tools and 
technologies and facilitat ing international trade, and offered recommendations for further 
discussions in the Committee.1 They further suggested  that interested Members form a working 
group to undertak e the activities outlined in the proposal  for consideration by the Committee under 
the Fifth Review . At its November 2018 meeting , the Committee decided to hold a thematic session 
on fall armyw orm (FAW) . 
This draft programm e is based on the structure suggested by the co -sponsors of  the proposa l.2 
The thematic session will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, 19  March  2019, beginning at 
10 a.m.  in room CR.  
Members are invited to provide comments on the draft programme by 28 February  2019. 
_______________  
Chairperson : Ms Noncedo Vutula  
 
1  THE SPS AGREEMENT  
Review of provisions of the SPS Agreement and WTO dispute settlement reports relevant to 
regulatory approaches that enable access to safe tools and technologies.  
Speaker (s): WTO Secretariat  
2  FALL ARMYWORM: THE P ROBLEM, THE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGI ES 
Information on the impact of the spread of this invasive pest across the globe ; impact on food 
security and trade; the particular challenge s for smallholders; description of tools and technologies 
for control; efficacy, resistance an d economic factors to consider in integrated pest management  
(IPM) strategies.  
Speakers : 
▪ Academic expert on fall armyworm  (TBC)  
▪ Dr MaryLucy Oronje, CABI  
                                                
1 G/SPS/W/305.  
2 G/SPS/W/309 and G/SPS/W/309/Corr.1 . G/SPS/GEN/1676  
 
- 2 - 
 
  ▪ International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center , CIMMYT  (TBC)  
▪ Ms Rose Monnerat , Coordinator of research group on biological control, Brazilian 
Agricultural Research Corporation, EMBRAPA, Brazil  
Strategies for biological control of FAW in corn crops  
3  GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND  DOMESTIC  APPROACHES  
Overview of global partnerships and development assistance efforts with focus on efforts to enable 
regulatory frameworks that facilitate access to safe and effective tools and technologies . 
Speakers : 
▪ FAO expert (TBC)  
▪ USAID expert (TBC)  
▪ Southern Cone Plant Health Committee , COSAVE (TBC)  
▪ African Union representative  
▪ Mr Benoit Gnonlonfin , ECOWAS  
West Africa perspectives on FAW monitoring and its effective control  
▪ Ms Panagiota  Mylona, European Union  
EU actions on FAW  
▪ Mr Ming-Yao Chiang , Assistant Researcher, Council of Agriculture , Chinese Taipei  
Controlling and investigating  Spodoptera  sp. 
▪ Mr Fahari Marwa, East African Community  
▪ Mr Neil Ellis, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Australia  
4  MEMBER S' EXPERIENCES: SUCCES SES AND CHALLENGES I N IMPROVING REGULATO RY 
FRAMEWORKS TO SUPPOR T FARMER ACCESS TO S AFE AND EFFECTIVE TO OLS AND 
TECHNOLOGIES  
Members report on their experiences and recommend ways in which the SPS Committee could 
enhance their efforts.  
Speaker s: 
▪ Mr Jan Hendrik  Venter , Manager , Early Warning Systems , Directorate Plant Health , 
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisherie s, South Africa  
Fall Armyworm outbreak: The South African experience  
▪ Dr Zachary Kinyua, Assistant Director and Head, Crop Health Research, Kenya Agriculture 
and Livestock Research Organization , Kenya  
Challenges and current initiatives on management of FAW  
▪ Honduras (TBC)  
 
__________