G/TBT/W/538/Rev.1  
 
8 June 2018 
(18-3628) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
EIGHTH  TRIENNIAL REVIEW  
Submission from the Philippines , Mauritius  and Uganda   
Revision  
The following submission, dated 8 June 2018, is being circulated at the request of the delegation s 
of the Philippine s, Mauritius , and Uganda . 
 
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The Philippines , Mauritius , and Uganda  welcome  the opportunity to participate in the Eighth 
Triennial Review of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).  
1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  The Sanitary and Phytosanitary area has greatly benefitted from the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF) since it began operating in 2004.  Launched with just over 
US$500,000 in seed -funding from the World Bank and WTO, the  STDF has come a long way. The 
STDF was established as a global partnership to help developing countries gain and maintain 
access to markets by tackling sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) gaps, and promoting food safety, 
and animal and plant health. The STDF has so far delivered over 180 projects that helped 
developing countries improve their SPS capacity and enhance trade in food and agricultural 
products. It also provides significant support to the most vulnerable, with around 60%  of project 
resources being dedicated to LDCs. The STDF also promotes the exchange of information and good 
practice in SPS capacity building. The success of STDF is well -recognised for its technical and 
financial mechanisms for coordination and resource mobilisation that ensures the most effective 
use of technical and financial resources.   
1.2.  In a TBT thematic session on conformity assessment procedures and technical assistance and 
special and differential treatment held in 2014, the STDF was invited to provide an overview of its 
coordin ation and funding role in SPS -related technical assistance. At this thematic session , some 
Members inquired  whether TBT issues could be incorporated into STDF 's work. The STDF 
representative informed Members that while there was scope for benefitting from synergies like in 
the areas of laboratory infrastructure, the mandate of the STDF was limited to SPS issues.  
2  PROPOSAL  
2.1.  Based on the Decisions and Recommendation adopted by the WTO Committee on Technical 
Barriers to Trade since 1 January 1995 ( G/TBT/1/Rev.13 ), technical assistance (TA) has been 
considered as an area  of priority work for the Committee. It was also decided that technical 
assistance would remain as an item of the agenda of the Committee on a permanent basis.  
2.2.  Considering the importance of technical assistance in the implementation of the TBT 
Agreement, t he TBT Committee, during its Second Triennial Review, agreed on the development of 
a demand driven technical cooperation programme ( G/TBT/W/178 ). Prior to the development of G/TBT/W/538/Rev.1  
 
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  this programme, a survey was conducted  and responded to by 50 developing country Members 
(G/TBT/W/193 ) in February 2003.  
2.3.  Since 1995, the TBT Committee has made  several decisions on Technical Assistance. In 
2015, the TBT Committee  agreed on furthering its work on technical assistance, among others:  
a. To reaffirm the need to review the effectiveness of technical assistance and capacity 
building activities among Members in the TBT area, and encourage Members to continue 
to exchange exp eriences on this area;  
b. To hold a thematic session in November 2016 on Technical Assistance, including the 
discussion of:  
i. the feasibility and desirability of establishing a coordination facility for TBT -related 
technical assistance and capacity building.  
2.4.  It may be recalled that in 2015 Mauritius proposed that a TBT facility with adequate 
resources be established to provide technical assistance and address capacity building needs of the 
Members in a timely and effective manner ( JOB/TBT/143 ). 
2.5.  Uganda supported Mauritius ' views and strongly believes that there is a need to establish a  
TBT-related technical assistance and capacity building funding facility like the STDF. Furthermore, 
such a facility would go a long way in coordinating the mobilisation of resources to support the 
developing and least developed WTO Members in building the ir capacity to implement and comply 
with the provisions of the TBT Agreement as well as to gain and maintain access to international 
markets. (JOB/TBT/150 ). 
2.6.  Thus, during the thematic session on Technical Assistance in November 2016, the Philippines 
indicated its interest in exploring a discussion on the establishment of a similar mechanism like the 
STDF in TBT ( G/TBT/GEN/204 ). The Philippines further reiterated its suggestion in its presentation 
in the TBT thematic session held in  March 2017 ( G/TBT/GEN/214 ). However, there was no 
concrete follow -up.  
2.7.  Finally, during the TBT Side Event on International Regulatory Co -operation, WTO Deputy 
Director General Alan Wm. Wolf f posed some ideas for reflection of M embers. In particular, he 
asked whether there is benefit in incorporating quality or other standards  in STDF or creating a 
parallel TBT mechanism .1 
2.8.  In view of the foregoing, the Philippines , Mauritius , and Uganda  believe  that there is merit for 
Members to revisit this important aspect of the Agreement.  
2.9.  To facilitate discussion of Members, the Philippine s, Mauritius , and Uganda  suggest  inviting 
the Secretariat to provide a presentation on the feasibility, including challenges and options, of 
expanding the present STDF to encompass measures covered by the TBT Agreement, or setting up 
a separate and dedicat ed TBT development facility.  
 
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1 https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/ddgra_19mar18_e.htm .