G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
7 March 2013  
(13-1259)  Page: 1/11  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 UPDATE ON THE OPERATION OF THE STANDARDS AND  
TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
 
 1  OVERVIEW 
1.1.  The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) supports developing countries in 
building their capacity to implement international sanitary and phytosanitary standards, guidelines and recommendations as a means to improve their human, animal and plant health status and ability to gain and maintain access to markets. In doing so, it contributes to sustainable economic 
growth, poverty reduction, food security and environmental protection in developing countries. The 
STDF helps in increasing awareness, mobilizing additional resources, strengthening collaboration 
and identifying and disseminating good practice  to enhance the effectiveness of SPS-related 
technical cooperation. The STDF also provides support and funding for the development and 
implementation of projects that promote comp liance with international SPS requirements.  
1.2.  The STDF is a global partnership established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank, the World 
Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Other organizations involved in SPS-related technical cooperation, donors contributing to the STDF and developing country experts participate actively in the Facility's work. The STDF is managed and housed by the WTO.
2 
1.3.  This document provides an overview of ST D F  a c t i v i t i e s  i n  s u p p o r t  o f  i t s  w o r k  p r o g r a m m e  
since the previous SPS Committee meeting in October 2012 as well as information on planned work. It also provides an overview of on-going  STDF projects and project preparation grants. 
1.4.  Members who would like to receive more information on SPS-related technical cooperation 
are encouraged to subscribe to the STDF electronic mailing list (http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/ContactUs.htm ). The STDF regularly issues an electronic 
newsletter which contains an overview of major developments in the area of SPS capacity building, 
including activities of the STDF and its partners. 
2  COORDINATION AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES 2.1  Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) 
2.1.  The STDF continued its work on the application of Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to 
inform decision-making on SPS capacity building an d resource allocation. The purpose of the MCDA 
framework is to improve the effectiveness of decisi ons on where to allocate public, private and/or 
donor resources aimed at enhancing SPS capacity. As such, the tool helps to: (i) enhance the 
economic efficiency of SPS resource allocation de cisions so that scarce resources are allocated in a 
manner that best meets a country's economic development, poverty alleviation, public health 
and/or other objectives; (ii) promote more transparent and accountable choices between multiple 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 More detailed information on the STDF and its ac tivities, including projects and project preparation 
grants, is available on  the STDF website ( http://www.standardsfacility.org ). G/SPS/GEN/1221 
 
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  investment options; and (iii) facilitate dialogue and coordination among public and private sector 
stakeholders with an interest in SPS and enco urage more inclusive decision-making processes. 
2.2.  A successful regional workshop for selected mid- to high-level officials in food safety, animal 
and/or plant health and trade from the Asian and Pacific region was organized by the STDF in 
Bangkok, Thailand in November 2012. The objectiv es of the workshop were to present the MCDA 
approach, share practical experiences from countries where it had been used (including in Viet Nam in 2012 with STDF support), and equip SPS experts from the Asian and Pacific region 
with knowledge and skills to apply this approach. A total of 40 participants from 
18 countries/territories participated in the event. 
2.3.  On 24-25 June 2013 the STDF will organize an MCDA workshop in Geneva for selected 
participants to: (i) review work to date on the use of MCDA to prioritize SPS capacity building 
options in a number of developing countries; (ii)  discuss options to improve and refine the MCDA 
tool and its practical application; and (iii) make recommendations to guide future work on MCDA. The selection of participants for this workshop has already been completed by the STDF 
Secretariat. More information on the MCDA tool, including previous STDF events and publications, 
can be found on the STDF website ( http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/TAEcoAnalysis.htm ). 
2.2  SPS and Trade Facilitation 
2.4.  The STDF, in collaboration with its partners, has begun work on exploring the linkages 
between SPS and Trade Facilitation. This work will  analyse the implementation of SPS measures in 
the context of trade facilitation, which is defined as the simplification, harmonisation, standardisation and modernisation of trade procedures (Grainger, 2008). The specific objectives 
will be to: (i) raise awareness about the synerg ies between the implementation of SPS measures 
and trade facilitation; (ii) identify key needs, opportunities and good practices to improve the implementation of SPS measures in a way that ensures the appropriate level of health protection 
while minimizing trade transaction costs; and (iii) develop recommendations to strengthen future 
work and technical cooperation focused on SPS and trade facilitation.  
2.5.  The work will include regional research in selected countries and sub-regions in Africa, Latin 
America and the Caribbean, and Asia to review an d analyse the implementation of SPS measures, 
procedures and processes in the context of trade fa cilitation. Based on the findings of the regional 
research, the STDF Secretariat, in cooperation with the organizations involved in the regional research, will publish a synthesis study and a two-page STDF Briefing summarizing the key 
messages and conclusions.  
2.6.  Members are encouraged to share informatio n with the STDF Secretariat on their experiences 
in the area of SPS and Trade Facili tation (STDFSecretariat@wto.org). 
2.3  STDF Virtual Library 
2.7.  In November 2012, the STDF launched a Virtual Library, a central repository of electronic 
SPS capacity building documentation. The sy stem contains around 800 publicly available 
documents, including project reports and evaluati ons, capacity assessments, training materials, 
research papers, articles, etc., from various pub lishers and sources. Information is provided in 
English, French and/or Spanish, as available. The library allows the STDF Secretariat to: (i) better manage a large amount of documentation; (ii) inform and assist beneficiaries, international 
organizations and other stakeholders in the de velopment and implementation of SPS capacity 
building initiatives; and (iii) further facilitate the dissemination of relevant experiences and good practices. The library is accessible from the STDF website, and at the following web address: 
http://www.stdfvirtuallibrary.org .  
2.8.  Members are encouraged to share SPS technical cooperation and capacity building 
documents with the STDF Secretariat ( STDFSecretariat@wto.org ) for possible inclusion in the 
library. G/SPS/GEN/1221 
 
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  2.4  Study on Effects of Export-Oriented SP S Technical Cooperation on Domestic Food 
Safety 
2.9.  The STDF, in close collaboration with FAO and WHO, is preparing to commission a study on 
the spill-over effects of export-oriented SPS technical cooperation project and programmes on 
domestic food safety. The aim is to draw key lessons to improve the design and delivery of future 
SPS-related technical cooperation. The study will be primarily based on a review of selected technical assistance projects and programmes (including relevant STDF projects) and will comprise 
desk-top research, questionnaires and direct interviews.  
2.10.  Members are encouraged to share information on relevant projects and programmes with 
the STDF Secretariat ( STDFSecretariat@wto.org ) in relation to this topic.  
2.5  International Trade And Invasive Alien Species 
2.11.  In July 2012, the STDF, in collaboration wi th the International Plant Protection Convention 
(IPPC) and the World Organisation for Animal Heal th (OIE), organized a seminar on International 
Trade and Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Geneva. The STDF is currently finalizing and will shortly 
publish a desk study that was prepared for and presented at the seminar. The main objectives of 
this work is to: (i) provide a common understanding  of the concepts and principles used in the 
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the SPS Agreement and related instruments with regard 
to IAS in the context of international trade; and (ii) highlight the contribution that can be made by 
effective SPS systems in helping to protect against the entry of harmful species, including pests, diseases, and other IAS. In doing so, this work ai ms to foster increased and better collaboration 
between the SPS and the CBD "communities" at both regional and national levels. More 
information on the seminar, including presentations, an STDF briefing note highlighting findings 
and conclusions, and other relevant documentation, is available on the STDF website (http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/TAIAS.htm ). 
3  PROJECT DEVELOPMENT 
3.1.  The STDF generally acts as a helpdesk on SPS project development and funds project 
preparation grants (PPGs) to assist beneficiaries in the articulation of their SPS needs and the 
development of technically sound and sustainable project proposals. Funds up to US$50,000 are 
available for PPGs, which can be used for any of the following purposes (or a combination thereof): (i) application of SPS-related capacity evaluation  and prioritization tools; (ii) preparation of 
feasibility studies that precede project developm ent to assess the potential impact and economic 
viability of proposals in terms of their expected costs and benefits; and/or (iii) preparation of 
project proposals that can be funded by the STDF or other donors.  
3.2.  A total of 53 PPGs have been approved and funded by the STDF since its inception. It is 
expected that the STDF Working Group will approve additional PPGs for funding at its next meeting 
on 18-19 March. 
4  PROJECT FUNDING 
4.1.  Project grant financing up to a maximum of US$1,000,000 is available from the STDF. 
Favourable consideration is given to projects that focus on one or more of the following: (i) the identification, development and dissemination of good practice in SPS-related technical cooperation, including the development and application of innovative and replicable approaches; 
(ii) STDF work on cross-cutting topics of common interest; (iii) the use of regional approaches to 
address SPS constraints; and/or (iv) collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches focused on the interface / linkages between human, animal and plant health and trade, and benefiting from the 
involvement of two or more STDF partners or other relevant organizations.  
4.2.  A total of 63 projects have been approved fo r STDF funding since its inception. It is expected 
that the STDF Working Group will approve addition al projects for funding at its next meeting on 
18-19 March. 
4.3.  An overview of current STDF projects and PP Gs is provided in the Annex. Since its inception, 
the STDF has devoted 44% of its project and PPG resources to Least-developed countries (LDCs) G/SPS/GEN/1221 
 
- 4 - 
 
  and Other Low Income Countries (OLICs), as shown in Figure 1 below. Hence, the STDF continues 
to meet its target to devote at least 40% of Fa cility project and PPG resources to LDCs and OLICs. 
Figure 2 indicates that 52% of the number of STDF projects and PPGs has gone to Sub-Saharan Africa, 18% to Asia, and 15% to Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, 11% of STDF 
projects and PPGs can be classified as global. 
Figure 1: STDF projects and PPGs (US$) 
44%
56%
LDCs / OLICsOthers
 
 
 
Figure 2: STDF Projects and PPGs (number) 
52%
18%15%11% 4%
Sub-Saharan AfricaLatin America 
& Caribbean
AsiaGlobalOther
 
 
4.4.  Applications for STDF funding can be made at any point in the year but should be received at least 60 working days in advance of each Working Group meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. The next deadline for the submission of applications is 19 July 2013. G/SPS/GEN/1221 
 
- 5 - 
 
  Recommended steps to follow when seeking PG or PPG funding opportunities with the STDF: 
1. Browse our PPG http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/PGPpgStat.htm  and PG 
http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/PGProStat.htm  webpages for examples of previous 
projects.  
2. Carefully read our guidan ce note for applicants: 
http://www.standardsfacility.org/File s/Forms/STDFGuidanceNote_en.pdf  
3. Consult relevant stakeholders in the country/region. 
4. Send us a brief concept note of your potential project for feedback on eligibility and 
likelihood of funding ( STDFSecretariat@wto.org ). 
5. Fill out an application form ( http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/FDAppForms.htm ) and 
submit it electronically before the deadline. 
 
  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 6 - ANNEX 
 
IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF ONGOING STDF PROJECTS AND PROJECT PREPARATION GRANTS1 
  
STATUS OF APPROVED PROJECTS 
Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PG/172 Expanding exports of 
sesame seeds and sheanut/ butter through improved SPS capacity building for private and public sector Identify critical control points and 
factors along the Nigerian shea nut production chain and develop predictive models for aflatoxin production and fungal growth, pesticide residues and other contaminants Nigeria Nigeria Export 
Promotion Council (NEPC) 10-Dec-09 01-Oct-10 30-Sep-13 $364,240 
STDF/PG/242 Strategy to strengthen 
the SPS system in 
Comoros Build SPS capacity in the country 
in a comprehensive and 
systematic manner in order to 
increase its market access for 
potential agricultural products 
and fisheries Comoros  UNDP 30-Mar-12 17-Sep-12 16-Sep-15 $1,033,673 
STDF/PG/284 Strengthening the 
National SPS Committee of Honduras Strengthen the National SPS 
Committee of Honduras, further support the implementation of the National SPS Agenda (developed by the Committee) and consolidate and develop institutional SPS capacities Honduras Organismo 
Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (OIRSA) 19-Mar-10 01-Jul-10 28-Feb-13 $257,580 
STDF/PG/298 SPS capacity building in 
Africa to mitigate the 
harmful effects of 
pesticide residues in 
cocoa and to maintain 
market access Build SPS capacity in Africa to 
produce good quality cocoa that 
complies with the relevant 
international regulations and 
legislation on pesticide residues 
and other harmful substances Cameroon, 
Côte d'Ivoire, 
Ghana, Nigeria, 
Togo International 
Cocoa 
Organization 
(ICCO) 02-Jul-10 01-Jan-11 31-Dec-13 $593,460 
                                               
1 Projects and project preparation grants th at have a start and end date to be determined (TBD) have not yet been contracted.  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 7 - Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PG/300 Develop a combined e-
learning curriculum and web-based information system for food 
standards Develop a combined e-learning 
curriculum and information system on food standards as a contribution to up-grading the 
quality infrastructure in 
developing countries Ghana University of 
Cape Coast (UCC) 10-Dec-09 01-Dec-10 30-Nov-13 $262,246 
STDF/PG/302 Support to the cabbage 
sector in the Niayes 
Region of Senegal Increase the production of 
cabbage and hence exports to 
the sub-region by controlling the 
spread and impact of two specific 
pests and assisting producers in 
meeting the Maximum Residue 
Limit established by Codex Senegal Senegal's 
Horticulture 
Union of the 
Niayes region 
(AUMN) 19-Mar-10 01-Feb-12 31-Jan-14 $577,142 
STDF/PG/318 National program for the 
monitoring and integral management of contaminants in export product Establish a comprehensive 
program to control residues of pesticides and mycotoxins and implement this program for two pilot exportable products Ecuador IICA 19-Mar-10 01-Dec-10 31-May-13 $400,455 
STDF/PG/319 Strengthening the Food 
Safety Risk Assessment 
Unit in Colombia Elaborate the functioning 
procedures of the Unit, establish 
its work programme and create a 
network of risk assessors to 
conduct future risk analyses Colombia IICA 02-Jul-10 01-Feb-11 31-Jul-13 $401,500 
STDF/PG/321 Building trade capacity of 
small-scale shrimp and prawn farmers in Bangladesh Organize small-scale farmers in 
manageable clusters and assist them in developing and adopting Better Management Practices 
(BMPs) to address the 
contamination problem at grass-roots level. Bangladesh FAO 27-Jun-11 01-Apr-12 21-Mar-14 $568,750 
STDF/PG/326 A Southeast Asian 
partnership to build trade 
capacity for fresh and 
processed fruit and 
vegetable products Develop a competency-based 
education and training platform 
for selected value chains and 
provide customized training using 
a combination of face-to-face 
instruction and e-learning Thailand, 
Vietnam Michigan State 
University 
(MSU) 02-Jul-10 01-Jan-11 30-Jun-13 $581,665  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 8 - Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PG/328 Beyond Compliance:  
Integrated Systems Approach for Pest Risk Management in 
Southeast Asia  Develop and test new decision-
support tools focused on an integrated Systems Approach for pest risk management in the 
Southeast Asian sub-region 
(support implementation of ISPM No. 14) Southeast Asia CABI Southeast 
Asia 28-Mar-11 11-Jul-11 10-Jul-14 $600,000 
STDF/PG/329 Enhancing Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary capacity of 
Nepalese ginger exports 
through Public Private 
Partnerships Increase incomes of Nepalese 
stakeholders in the ginger value 
chain by adding value to the 
product exported to India and 
increasing capacity to access new 
markets. Nepal FAO 27-Jun-11 07-Jun-12 06-Jun-14 $412,629 
STDF/PG/335 Strengthening the 
Capacity for Phytosanitary Controls of Floriculture Sector in Uganda Enhance pest surveillance and 
diagnostic capacity to enable a better understanding of pest distribution and facilitate the implementation of efficient control strategies Uganda CABI Africa 30-Mar-12 01-Oct-12 30-Sep-14 $348,632 
STDF/PG/336 Enhancing the control of 
transboundary animal 
diseases in Cameroon Build institutional capacity and 
strengthen the capacity of the 
decentralized veterinary services 
- mainly those involved in the 
surveillance system Cameroon FAO 27-Jun-11 01-Jun-12 31-May-14 $510,788 
STDF/PG/337 ASEAN Pesticide Residue 
Data Generation Project Establish a regional process to 
generate reliable data for MRLs for selected "minor-use" crops, as a means to promote 
harmonization with international 
standards and enhance market access ASEAN 
member states ASEAN 
Secretariat 21-Oct-11 01-Dec-12 30-Nov-15 $607,000  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 9 - Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PG/343 Competency 
development scheme for 
the cinnamon sector in 
Sri Lanka Enhance the competiveness of 
the cinnamon industry and the 
capacity of the cinnamon value 
added segment by improving 
processing and handling 
practices. Sri Lanka UNIDO 21-Oct-11 01-Jul-12 30-Jun-14 $630,000 
STDF/PG/344 Establishment of a 
Regional Virtual Food Inspection School in Central America and Dominican Republic Harmonize modern inspection 
procedures conducted by a properly trained cadre of food inspectors and food safety auditors in the region to contribute to facilitating trade and improving public health Central 
America IICA 30-Mar-12 01-Jul-12 30-Jun-15 $905,225 
STDF/PG/350 Global Phytosanitary 
Manuals, Standard 
Operating Procedures 
and Training Kits Address the need in developing 
countries for documented 
technical resources to enhance 
their capacity to understand and 
implement International 
Standards on Phytosanitary 
Measures (ISPMs) Côte D'Ivoire, 
Jamaica, 
Malaysia and 
Sudan IPPC 
Secretariat 28-Mar-11 01-Feb-12 31-Jan-14 $600,000 
STDF/PG/354 Improving Safety and 
Quality of Sri Lankan Fruits and Vegetables Analyse SPS constraints along 
the value chains, enhance public and private sector stakeholders capacity to meet international 
SPS requirements and improve 
public-private cooperation and 
networking Sri Lanka International 
Trade Centre 30-Mar-12 TBD TBD $466,550 
STDF/PG/358 Improving veterinary 
legislation in OIRSA 
member countries Strengthen the veterinary 
services in the region by 
harmonizing the legal framework 
in accordance with OIE standards 
for the control and eradication of 
animal diseases Central 
America OIRSA 30-Mar-12 TBD TBD $488,330  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 10 - Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PG/359 African Pesticide Residue 
Data Generation Project:  Strengthening regional capacity to meet 
pesticides export 
requirements based on international standards Enhance regional capacity in 
pesticide residues data generation and monitoring for establishing, implementing, and 
complying with international 
pesticide residue standards Ghana, Kenya, 
Tanzania and Uganda AU-IBAR 11-Oct-12 TBD TBD $446,150 
STDF/PG/381 CocoaSafe: SPS capacity 
building and knowledge 
sharing for the cocoa 
sector in South East Asia  Maintain and increase market 
access of cocoa exports by 
improving practices along the 
supply chain to meet 
international standards of food 
safety Indonesia, 
Malaysia and 
Papua New 
Guinea  International 
Cocoa 
Organization 
(ICCO) 11-Oct-12 TBD TBD $593,204 
STDF/PG/401 Training of Phytosanitary 
Capacity Evaluation (PCE) Facilitators Improve the capability of 
developing countries to use the PCE tool to evaluate their capacities, identify gaps and plan their national ph ytosanitary and 
development programmes Developing 
countries IPPC Capacity 
Development Committee (CDC) 11-Oct-12 TBD TBD $625,148 
 
  
  G/SPS/GEN/1221  
 
- 11 - STATUS OF APPROVED PROJECT PREPARATION GRANTS (PPGS) 
Ref. No. Title Objective Beneficiary Implementing 
entity/ 
person Approval 
date Start Date End Date Budget 
(US$) 
STDF/PPG/346-
347-348 Feasibility study on the 
concept of the COMESA Green Pass Conduct a feasibility study to 
clarify the concept of the Green Pass and address legal and technical issues as well as its economic and commercial viability COMESA TBD 27-Jun-11 01-Jan-12 Upon 
approval $90,000 
STDF/PPG/370 Strengthening the 
Competent Authority 
Analytical Laboratory for 
fish and other potential 
agricultural exportable 
products in the Solomon 
Islands Develop a project that addresses 
SPS constraints in selected 
fish/agri-products, as well as 
outstanding capacity needs within 
the National Public Health 
Laboratory (NPHL) Solomon 
Islands TBD 30-Mar-12 TBD TBD $29,900 
STDF/PPG/377 Comprehensive 
Assessment and Development of a Project Proposal to Strengthen the National Plant Protection System in the Gambia Conduct a comprehensive 
assessment of the phytosanitary capacity gaps using the IPPC-PCE Tool and develop a project to implement action points to enhance the national plant protection system Gambia IPPC 30-Mar-12 01-Feb-13 31-Jul-13 $50,000 
STDF/PPG/400 Capacity building for 
aflatoxin management 
and control in groundnuts 
in Malawi Develop a proposal for a national 
programme to address aflatoxin 
contamination in Malawi Malawi Luz Diaz & 
International 
Crops Research 
Institute for the 
Semi-Arid 
Tropics 
(ICRISAT) 11-Oct-12 25-Feb-13 24-Aug-13 $46,265 
 
 
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