. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/1034 
5 July 2010 
 (10-3645) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 
Statement by the Dominican Republic at the Meeting of 29 and 30 June 2010
 
  
 The following communication, received on 5 June 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of the Dominican Republic
. 
 
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1. The Dominican Republic wishes to inform th e Committee about the technical assistance 
relating to sanitary and phytosanitary measures re ceived from the WTO in the course of the first 
six months of 2010. 
2. Firstly, we should like to mention the selection of  twelve (12) technical experts and officials 
of the institutions that belong to the SPS National Committee to attend the Electronic Training Course 
on the SPS Agreement, held in Spanish from 26 April to 18 June 2010.  I should add that each module 
of the course was discussed at various work sessions  and followed with great enthusiasm by each of 
the participants.  We know that the knowledge acquire d there has been and will be of great benefit for 
the work undertaken by each person in the areas, in  particular, of plant health, laboratory work and 
food safety. 
3. Secondly, we wish to inform you that on 7, 8 and 9 June 2010 the Dominican Republic hosted 
the National Seminar on Sanitary and Phytosanit ary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade, 
followed on 10 June by a Working Session on Agricu lture, for a group of technical experts of the 
Ministry of Agriculture. 
4. The main purpose of the National Seminar on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and 
Technical Barriers to Trade was to strengthen lo cal capacities in the knowledge, management and 
implementation of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and also 
in information relating to the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to Trade, thereby contributing to a 
better understanding of the country's commitments a nd rights, the implementation of the obligations 
undertaken in those documents, a better use of the multilateral system, better interaction and 
coordination of the functions of the institutions of the public and private sectors of the Dominican 
Republic in these fields. 
5. During the first two days of the National Semi nar attention mainly focused on sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures (SPS), covering such area s as the importance of these measures in world 
trade, the importance of food safety in world tr ade, the SPS Committee of the Dominican Republic, 
the relationship with the "Three Sisters", the work  of international organizations in the country, 
private standards, etc.  The third day was devoted to  the subject of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), 
with expositions and discussions on the application of the conformity assessment procedures, the resolution of trade problems, the TBT Committee of the Dominican Republic, etc. G/SPS/GEN/1034 
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  6. During the three days of the event there was ac tive, enthusiastic and increasing participation 
by the representatives of the National Committee for the Application of Sani tary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (CNMSF) and of the National Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (CNOTC) and also by technical experts and professionals from the various government institutions, the private 
sector and observers from international organizati ons concerned with the issues of trade and the 
application of the other subjects covered in the sem inar.  On behalf of the WTO, the Seminar was 
conducted by Ms Marième Fall a nd Mr Pablo Jenkins, both from the Agriculture and Commodities 
Division, while locally the representatives of the private sector, the CNMSF and the CNOTC, as well 
as local representatives acting as observers of intern ational organizations, gave presentations on these 
subjects.  Further information on these successful activities has been published on the country's 
SPS site:  http://www.cnmsf.gob.do/
. 
7. The Dominican Republic would like to thank the World Trade Organization for the 
opportunity it gave us through the technical assist ance received to continue directing our efforts 
towards making better use of knowledge, exchang es of experience and the application of the 
provisions of the Agreement on the Application of  Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and 
the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in the production and marketing of our products, 
with a view to improving and increasing trade relations  for the benefit of all the stakeholders involved 
in the process. 
8. Finally, but no less important, it would also like to express its gratitude to the Permanent 
Mission of the Dominican Republic to the WTO in Geneva for the coordination with this 
Organization of the technical assistance received. 
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