G/SPS/GEN/1568/Rev.1  
 
18 September 2017 
(17-4936) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 
WORKSHOP ON TRANSPARENCY  
MONDAY, 30 OCTOBER – TUESDAY, 31  OCTOBER 201 7 
DRAFT PROGRAMME  
Note by the Secretariat1 
Revision  
1.  The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization is organizing a workshop on the transparency 
provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS Agreement), to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 30-31 October 201 7. The w orkshop will 
be followed by informal and formal meetings of the SPS Co mmittee, lasting until Friday, 
3 November  2017. Representatives of Members, Observers and Observer Organizations are all 
invited to participate in the transparency workshop as well as th e subsequent meeting s of the SPS 
Committee.  
2.  Document G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev. 7 provide s information on the workshop . The WTO, with the 
financial assistance of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), will sponsor 
the participation of approximately  40 government officials from developing country Members and 
Observers  to the workshop . The Secretariat has select ed participants to be sponsored among 
applications from government officials in charge of the implementation of the transparency 
provisions of the SPS  Agreement.  
3.  The workshop is intend ed to be a highly interactive, hands -on event , including training  on the 
use of the improved  SPS Information Management System (SPS  IMS) and on -line submission  
system of SPS notifications (SPS  NSS), as well as on t he ePing SPS/TBT notification alert system. 
Delegates planning to attend the hands -on training sessions are invited to bring their laptops.   
4.  The workshop will also provid e a forum  for discussion and experience  sharing on developments , 
challenges  and practi ces in the area of SPS transparency . In addition , it will be an occasion to 
continue the discussions on transparency started as part of the Fourth Review of the 
implementation of the SPS Agreement . 
5.  This revised  version of the draft programme takes into account Members' comments received 
after the July 2017 Committee meeting.   
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  G/SPS/GEN/1568/Rev.1  
 
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  MONDAY, 30  OCTOBER 2017  
10:00–10:15  
Opening remarks  
Overview of t he workshop and its objectives  
10:15–10:45  
Session 1: Introduction  
Speaker:  WTO Secretariat  
Overview of  the transparency provisions in the SPS Agreement and of relevant Committee/Ministerial 
Decisions  
10:45–11:15 
Session 2: WTO sources of SPS information  
Speaker:  WTO Secretariat  
 Documents O nline; ePing  SPS/TBT notification alert system ; I-TIP 
 SPS gateway + presentation of the improved  version of the SPS IM S 
11:30-13:30 
Participants will break into three groups : (i) English speakers ; (ii) French speakers ; and (iii) Spanish 
speakers.  
Session 3: Practical session on the use of the improved  SPS IMS   
 SPS IMS hands -on exercise  
Session 4 : Practical session on the use of ePing  
 ePing hands -on exercise  
13:30–15:00  Lunch break  
15:00–15:30 
Session 5 : New trade f acilitation obligations in the SPS area  
Speaker:  Swedish National Board of Trade , Sweden  
15:30–16:00 
Session 6: Implementation of the transparency provisions  
Speaker:  WTO Secretariat  
Presentation  of Members' level of implementation of transparency provisions and decisions 
(G/SPS/GEN /804/Rev.10 ) 
16:00–16:20 
Session 7: Overview of the improved SPS NSS 
Speaker:  WTO Secretariat  
 How does the on -line submission facility work?  
 Presentation of the improved  SPS NSS platform: what has changed?  
16:30–18:00 
Session 8: Practical session on the use of the improved SPS NSS  
Participants will break into three groups : (i) English speakers ; (ii) French speakers ; and (iii) Spanish 
speakers.  
 Intro: How to use the improved SPS NSS and how to fill in a notification form  
 SPS NSS hands -on exercise  G/SPS/GEN/1568/Rev.1  
 
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  TUESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2017  
10:00–10:15  
Opening remarks  
10:15–13:00 
Session 9: Sharing of national experiences and best practices in public consultations  
Part 1: Models and mechanisms for public consultation in SPS rulemaking  
In this session, relevant international work will be presented in the area of public consultation in the 
regulatory development  process.  
Speakers:  TBC 
 OECD : TBC 
 World Bank : TBC 
 APEC: TBC 
Part 2:  Domestic  experiences in public consultation  
In a round table setting, s peakers in this session will share their experience s in conducting public 
consultation s when  developing SPS regulations .  
Speakers:  TBC 
Part 3 : Private  sector views  (TBC) 
In this session, privat e sector  representatives will share their experience s in participating in public 
consultations and/or government speakers in interacting with the private sector.  
Speakers:  TBC 
13:00–14:30  Lunch break  
14:30–16:15 (14:30 -15:00 plenary, 15:00 -16:15 groups)  
Session 10 : What actions could improve the implementation and benefits of SPS 
transparency provisions?  
A brief introduction of  the topics below will be presented in plenary.  Participants will then break into 
groups to further discuss one or several of th ese topics : 
Speaker: TBC 
 Decision  criteria: what to notify and when  
Speaker: TBC 
 Identifying  and targeting interested stakeholders  
Speaker: TBC 
 How to manage the volume of notifications on which to comment  
Approximately 1  hour will be allocated for g roup discussions.  
16:30–17:30 - Reporting to the plenary  
Rapporteurs of each group will report back to the plenary (5 minutes  each). The floor will then be 
opened for questions and comments.  
17:45–18:00  
Session 1 1: Conclusion  
 
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