G/AG/GEN/132  
2 June 2016  
(16-2974)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Agriculture  Original: Spanish  
 
  THE IICA IN THE WTO COMMITTEE ON  AGRICULTURE WORK PLAN VI: 
JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2016 
SUBMISSION BY THE IICA 
The following submission, dated 1 June 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).  
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  1  BACKGROUND 
1.1.  In March 2010, the Committee on Agriculture of the World Trade Organization (WTO) granted 
the IICA ad hoc observer status in its regular meetings. Since June 2012, the IICA has been operating a WTO Reference Centre which is open to individuals, associations and institutions from 
government, business and academic circles and the general public that are interested in obtaining 
information to improve their technical capacity in the areas of agriculture and international trade. 
1.2.  A number of joint regional and national technical cooperation activities have been conducted 
in the framework of the existing alliance between  the IICA and the WTO on subjects of particular 
interest to the two institutions and their member countries, including, in 2015, a regional workshop on market access and trade facilitation issues for Latin American countries, a national workshop in El Salvador on WTO agricultural negotiations and trade facilitation, and a regional 
workshop on the same issues for countries of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC). 
The IICA also collaborated on the Fifteenth Short Trade Policy Course for countries of the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA). Thanks to these activities, participants were 
able to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge of trade rules and strengthen their 
institutional capacity to participate more effectively in international trade forums. 
1.3.  Accordingly, the IICA submitted five joint Work Plans between 2010 and 2015 
(documents G/AG/GEN/92; G/AG/GEN/95; G/AG/GEN/105, G/AG/GEN/115 and G/AG/GEN/125). 
1.4.  In order to ensure the continuity of the IIC A's commitment, a sixth Work Plan has been 
drafted. This plan is to be submitted at the ne xt regular meeting on the Committee on Agriculture 
to be scheduled, for circulation to WTO Members. 
2  ACTIVITIES TO BE DEVELOPED IN RELA TION TO THE WORK  OF THE COMMITTEE 
ON AGRICULTURE 
2.1.  The following activities are under consideration: 
a. Participation and attendance at meetings of the Committee on Agriculture : the IICA, 
as an observer member of this Committee, undertakes to participate in the regular meetings held at the WTO and addressing matters within its competence. G/AG/GEN/132 
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  b. Preparation of a paper on the IICA's contribution to the Marrakesh Decision and 
Food Security : the IICA undertakes to submit, at the regular meeting of the 
Committee in November, a contribution on what the Institute has done during the year in the food security area. Since 2010, it ha s published submissions on this subject: 
in 2010 (G/AG/GEN/93); in 2011 (G/AG/GEN/97); in 2012 (G/AG/GEN/104); 
in 2013 (G/AG/GEN/111); in 2014 (G/AG/GEN/125); and in 2015 (G/AG/GEN/128). 
c. Support for technical cooperation activities : the IICA will support the WTO in its technical 
cooperation activities directed at ministries of agriculture at both the hemispheric level, 
through the Inter-American Board of Agriculture, and the subregional level through the Southern Agricultural Council, CAC, the Caribbean Alliance, and other ministerial bodies. These actions are designed to enhance the involvement of the IICA and its WTO 
Reference Centre in the deve lopment of such activities. 
d. Monitoring areas of common interest : the IICA will monitor the progress of the 
agricultural trade negotiations in the WTO and will prepare technically to provide 
technical training or advice to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean for the 
introduction by member countries of changes to their international trade policy. At the same time, should the WTO Secretariat require extra IICA technical staff to deal with 
demands of this type, it will be able to rely on the Institute in its geographical sphere 
(mainly Latin America and the Caribbean) for such activities and for other matters related to the agricultural areas in which the Institute works. 
e. Compliance by countries with agricultural notification requirements : since the Committee 
has identified countries that have fallen behind in submitting agricultural notifications in 
accordance with the requirements and formats adopted in 1995 by WTO Members (G/AG/2), the IICA will continue to support the WTO's initiatives to conduct regional 
workshops for the countries of Latin Americ a and the Caribbean to help them improve 
and update their agricultural policy notificati ons. Similarly, it will support and channel 
national and regional initiatives that require WTO technical cooperation. 
f. Preparation of technical documents : the Committee on Agriculture often needs to 
prepare technical documents. Since the IICA has experience in that area, it could provide the WTO Secretariat with support for such activities at the Committee's request. 
3  THE AGRICULTURAL TRADE NEGOTI ATIONS WITHIN THE INSTITUTE 
3.1.  The IICA's activities in the WTO are conducted in  the framework of the flagship project on the 
competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural chains for food security and economic development, under which the work plan will be impl emented. The implementation of this plan will 
help to strengthen IICA member States' capacity to build relationships and participate in 
international forums and other mechanisms for the exchange of knowledge and mobilization of 
relevant resources for inter-American agriculture (in accordance with the IICA's 2014-2018 
Medium-Term Plan). Part of this contribution cons ists of following up on implementation-related 
issues concerning the Agreement on Agricult ure and progress in the agricultural trade 
negotiations, and building up capacity in ad ministering agreements that emerge from 
the Doha Round. 
3.2.  The IICA is represented in 34 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and has 
an experienced network of experts in agricultur e, international trade and trade negotiations, 
strategically located both in country offices and at Central Headquarters, through whom the 
technical cooperation activities set out in the Work Plan will be implemented. G/AG/GEN/132 
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  3.3.  For further information, please contact: 
James French 
Lead Specialist for the thematic area "Competitiveness and Sustainability of Agricultural Chains" Email: james.french@iica.int  
Tel: (+506) 2216-0218 
 
Adriana Campos Azofeifa 
Trade Specialist 
Email: adriana.campos@iica.int  
Tel.: (+506) 2216-0170 
 
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