G/SPS/GEN/1421  
29 June 2015  
(15-3329) Page: 1/2  
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 TH E INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE 
FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE (IICA) 
The following communication, received on 26 June 2015, is being circulated at the request of 
the IICA. 
 
_______________ 
  
1.  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 Ag reement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). The IICA would like to present some of the actions and 
activities that it considers relevant to the work of this Committee. 
1  EFFORTS TO MAKE GREATER USE OF MULTILATERAL FORUMS 
1.1  World Trade Organization 
2.  As part of the EU-CARIFORUM SPS project, und er its component aimed at strengthening the 
multilateral trading system, support was provided for the participation of two Caribbean countries (Belize and Jamaica) in the 63
rd session of the World Trade Organization Committee on Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee). This effort was made with a view to developing and 
encouraging the leadership of these countries in the region. 
3.  As part of this effort to reposition the SPS Committee agenda in the Caribbean region, 
the IICA will support the WTO in a regional worksh op that will take place at the end of 2015. 
4.  In April 2015, the IICA provided support for a nati onal workshop on sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures that was organized by the WTO in Honduras. 
1.2  Codex Alimentarius 
5.  Within the framework of the EU-CARIFORUM SPS project, under its component aimed at 
strengthening the multilateral trading system, support was provided for the participation of all the Caribbean IICA member countries in the 38
th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
Some of these countries were unable to attend due to the lack of political support for participation 
in this forum - something which is becoming an important area of intervention for the IICA (political positioning of the Codex Alimentarius). This project also supports the Dominican 
Republic's participation in the Codex meeting on veterinary drug residues. 
6.  As part of the Programme to Promote Participation in the Codex Alimentarius in the Americas 
(IICA-Codex Programme), support was provided for the participation of eight countries in the 
Codex meeting on veterinary drug residues, held in Costa Rica in April, and for three countries in 
the 38
th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July. G/SPS/GEN/1421 
- 2 - 
  7.  In June 2015, the second Codex Colloquium of the year was held in the Americas. It focused on 
the issues of the 38th session of the Codex Alimentarius and was special in that it was bi-regional, 
with participants from both Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa. It was the first of its kind and the results were extremely positive. 
8.  In total, 69 delegates from 45 countries and 3 organizations (IICA, AU-IBAR, 
Codex Alimentarius, through one of its Vice-chairpersons) participated in the Colloquium. 37% of the countries present were African and 60% Latin American and Caribbean. The US delegation 
accounted for 3% of the participants. 
9.  This bi-regional Colloquium achieved the following: 
 it promoted closer ties and the facilitation  of dialogue between the CCLAC and CCAFRICA 
regions in respect of strategic Codex Alimentarius issues; 
 it fostered open dialogue between the regions on the most important issues that are to 
be examined at the 38
th session of the Codex Alim entarius Commission; and 
 it promoted collaboration and the identification  of issues of interest between the regions 
with a view to conducting bi-regional work. 
10.  The bi-regional Colloquium and most of the work carried out in relation to the 
Codex Alimentarius has the financial support of the United States Department of Agriculture. 
11.  Thanks to this IICA-Codex programme, support  has been provided in five areas of 
fundamental importance to IICA member countries: (i) effective participation in the Codex Alimentarius; (ii) capacity building; (iii) institutional strengthening; (iv) promotion of science as a basis for adopting standards; and (v) development of effective communication as a 
mechanism for reaching consensus and establishing positions in the interests of the region. 
1.3  World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) 
12.  As part of the EU-CARIFORUM SPS project, under its component aimed at strengthening the 
multilateral trading system, support was provided for the participation of nine Caribbean countries 
in the 83
rd General Session of the World Assembly of Delegates of the World Organisation for 
Animal Health (OIE). 
2  SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING OF THE INSTITUTIONAL, TECHNICAL AND 
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 
13.  As part of the its training programmes for member countries on new legislation that 
significantly impacts trade, the IICA has, since 2014 , been working on building up capacity to meet 
the United States' new safety requirements. 
14.  Workshops aimed at the public and private sectors have recently been held in Colombia, Peru 
and Trinidad and Tobago to promote the understan ding and implementation of the Food Safety 
Modernization Act (FSMA). 
15.  As an example of the methodology used, a training workshop on requirements 
governing the export of food to the US market  and the FSMA approach was held in Colombia 
from 25 to 29 May. This workshop took place in  Bogotá and was transmitted online to 7 provinces 
in the country. 260 people participated in the workshop (100 in person and 160 online). Afterwards, visits were made to 3 fresh fruit- and vegetable-exporting companies in Bogotá, Medellín and Cali to establish how prepared they were to meet FSMA requirements. As a result, 
producers', exporters' and public and private enti ties' understanding of the regulations proposed 
by the FSMA was improved. 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) 
Agricultural Health and Food Safety 
http://www.iica.int 
 
__________