G/SPS/GEN/1580  
16 October  2017 
(17-5552) 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  13 October  2017, 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  reports 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 t hat it considers relevant to the work of this Committee.  
1  EFFORTS TO MAKE GREATER USE OF MULTILATERAL AND REGIONAL FORUMS  
1.1  Codex Alimentarius  
1.1.  The third Codex colloquium of the year was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 19 to 
21 September. T he event brought together 71 delegates from 18 countries, a cooperation 
organization (IICA), the Chair of  Codex Alimentarius , and members of the C oordinating C ommittee 
for Latin America and the Caribbean . The colloquium  examined  the agenda items of the Cod ex 
Committees on Food Hygiene, Food Labelling, and Fresh Fruits and Vegetables . 
1.2.  The goals of the colloquium were to foster technical discussions o n each Codex Committee's 
various agenda items ; to discuss issues of future strategic interest to  the region and to Codex 
Alimentarius ; to promote the identification of issues common to or  of interest to the 
Latin America n and  Caribbean region  and the United States ; and to build capacity among  
delegates from participating countries . 
1.3.  Over the past four years, 11 Codex colloquia have been organized with funding from the 
United States Department of Agriculture  (USDA) . Three of them were inter regional (with countries 
from Latin America  and the Caribbean and from Africa participating) . Just over 600 delegates from 
some  45 countries have taken part.  
1.4.  Programme to promote participation in Codex Alimentarius meetings : The IICA 
support ed participati on in the following Codex Committees:  
a. CCFFV20 : Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables , October  2017, held in  
Uganda . Support was provided for the participation of Beliz e, Costa Rica, Ecuador,  Peru 
and Uruguay in this meeting ; 
b. CCFL44 : Codex Committee on Food Labelling , October  2017, held in  Paraguay . Support 
was provided for the participation  of Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador and  
Nicaragua in this meeting ; G/SPS/GEN/1580  
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  c. CCFH49 : Codex Committee on Food Hygiene , November  2017, to be h eld in the 
United  States . Support was provided  for the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Paraguay, 
Peru, Trinidad and Tobago,  and Uruguay . 
1.5.  For each Codex Alimentariu s meeting , the IICA support s the Coordinating Committee for 
Latin America and the Caribbean through  virtual  sessions to coordinate and examine  agenda 
items . These sessions help the countries coordinate before each meeting and exchange  views . 
The participation programme is funded by the USDA and implemented by the IICA.  
2  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
2.1.  With respect to the modernization of  national food safety systems, the Performance, Vision 
and Strategy (PVS) tool for National Food Safety Monitoring S ystems and Services was 
implemented in  Chile. This provided an opportunity to present and discuss the results obtained , as 
reported  in surveys,  and to create a dialogue among the various participants in the National Food 
Safety System . It also allowed  participants to identify constraints  and opportunities  and to propose 
strategies for reaching levels of performance deemed acceptable  for the various elements assessed 
by the tool. 
2.2.  With respect to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) , the IICA recently worked with Colombia, 
Ecuador  and Paraguay to standard ize the steps that should be included in an animal health AMR  
surveillance plan. The IICA helped the countries  set up their surveillance systems in accordance 
with WHO and OIE recommendations and in an integrated m anner  across institutions  (Ministries of 
Agriculture, Ministries of Health and others ). The primary aim behind this work is to help countries 
begin the process of standardizing  imports  so as to reduce  the risk of introducing multi-resistant 
pathogens and their genetic determinants . The IICA has already worked with Ecuador and 
Paraguay, and work with Colombia is planned for November . 
2.3.  Also with respect to AMR, the IICA worked with the member countries of the Standing 
Veterinary Committee (CVP) of the souther n region of the Americas (Argentina, the Plurinat ional 
State of  Bolivia, Bra zil, Chile, Paraguay and  Uruguay ) on an AMR risk management strategy , with 
the following being  achieved : 
─ information -sharing  on the AMR situation worldwide ; 
─ the current state of affairs in the region with respect to PNV AMR in the veteri nary and 
food production sectors  was discussed and analysed ; 
─ the countries  took note of  and analysed the situation , identifying  the needs in AMR 
research within the region's agricultural research  institutions ; 
─ the technical and operational needs for the implementation of national plans were 
determined ; 
─ the structure and basic features  of national AM R surveillance p lans for the sector were 
discussed ; 
─ national  counterparts strengthened their relationships with each other and with the 
relevant international, cooperation and research organizations ; 
─ consideration was given to the need for inter-institutional integration (Ministr y of Health, 
Ministr y of Agricultu re, the private sector and others) within each country  so as to 
facilitate joint work  on the issue.  
2.4.  Training of Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals : More than 65 p articipants  were trained 
as preventive controls qualified individuals under  the United States Food Safety Modernization Act 
in Brazil,  Chile and  Costa Rica . Their responsibilities, as set out in  the Preventive Controls for 
Human Food  regulation , include carrying out or oversee ing: (1) the preparation of the food safety 
plan; (2) the validation of preventive controls ; (3) the examination of records ; and (4) a new 
analysis of the food safety p lan. The events were organized and led by the USDA and the IICA with 
financial support  from USAID.  
2.5.  The USDA , the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health ( OIRSA ) and 
the IICA held two workshops on quarantine fumigation s in San José, Costa Rica . The workshops 
aimed to train technic al personnel  from Central American countries in the quarantine fumigation 
procedures on the basis of  the USDA's Treatment Manual . A total of 79 Central American technic al 
personnel  with responsib ility for fumigation operations at quarantine control points  participated . G/SPS/GEN/1580  
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  The workshops were conducted by experts from the USDA's  Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (USDA/ APHIS ) and the practical component was coordinated by OIRSA  technic al staff . 
2.6.  The IICA trained 39 Caribbean professionals in ensuring compliance  with safety  standards for 
fresh agricultural expor ts in a subr egional workshop held in Jamaica from 22 to 2 5 August. 
Twenty -four representatives from Jamaica participated , as did ten from Trinidad and Tobago, 
three  from Barbados, one from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and one from Dominica . 
2.7.  Training Workshop on Good Agricultural Practices : From 7 to 11 July more than 50 members 
of the government, private and academic sectors were trained as trainers in good agricultural 
practices , with a focus on United States  food safety legislation . Professionals from the Joint  
Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition ( JIFSAN ) and the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) led the initiative with support from the IICA and the USDA's  Foreign Agricultural Service 
(USDA/FAS ). 
2.8.  The IICA trained more than 50 Latin American techn ical personnel  in phytosanitary risk 
management  from 3 to 5 October , using resources from USDA/APHIS . The overall objective  of the 
workshop was to reinforce  technical capacity  in risk management so as  to promote capacity 
building in National Plant Protecti on Organizations (NPPO s). The specific goals were to promote 
interaction among professionals from NPPOs in the region  and knowledge of the procedures they 
use, with an emphasis on border procedures ; to identify best practices for reaching 
risk-management decisions on the basis of  risk assessment ; and to increase understanding of the 
responsibilities of the NPPO s, as an interrelated system, with a focus on the importance of 
effective channels of communication among  risk analysis, surveillance, risk management and 
export certification  departments . 
For further information, please contact  Robert Ahern ( Robert.ahern@iica.int ). 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agric ulture (IICA)  
Agricultural Health and Food Safety  
http://www.iica.int  
 
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