WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/AG/GEN/95 
21 October 2011 
 (11-5272) 
Committee on Agriculture Original:   Spanish 
  
 
IICA IN THE WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE WORK PLAN II: 
OCTOBER 2011 TO DECEMBER 2012 
 
Submission by IICA 
 
 
 The following submission, dated 18 October 2011, is being circulated at the request of the 
Inter-American Institute for C ooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 
 
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I. BACKGROUND 
1. Agricultural policy and negotiations, and trade in agricultural products are among IICA's 
ongoing priorities.  Since the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 
and the inclusion of agriculture in the multilatera l trade negotiations, IICA has adapted its cooperation 
activities to the new realities affecting the agricu lture sector, and has analysed their impact on the 
agrifood sector from the political standpoint. 
2. The subject took on a new dimension with  the launching in November 2003 of a new 
WTO round of multilateral trade negotiations in Doha, Qatar, known as th e Doha Development 
Agenda, and became a priority for IICA in keep ing with its commitment to support competitive and 
sustainable development of agriculture and the rura l environment.  Given that trade must serve to 
foster the development and wellbeing of our populat ions, especially in rural areas, IICA's concern is 
that these negotiations should suitably accommodate the objectives and interests of the countries of 
the region. 
3. With a view to expanding IICA's work in this  sphere, the Director-General of IICA submitted 
a request in October 2009 to the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, seeking observer status for 
the Institute.  The WTO Membership examined the request in March 2010 and the Committee on 
Agriculture granted IICA ad hoc observer status in its regular meetings. 
4. Accordingly, on 26 August 2010 IICA submitted it s Work Plan to the Committee's regular 
meeting held in September of that year, and it was implemented as proposed until September 2011. 
5. In order to ensure the continuity of IICA's commitment, a second Work Plan was prepared.  
This plan is to be submitted at the forthcoming re gular meeting in November 2011 for circulation to 
WTO Members. G/AG/GEN/95 
Page 2  
 
  II. ACTIVITIES TO BE DEVELOPED 
A. W
ITH THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE  
6. The following activities are under consideration: 
(a) Coordinated identification of possible areas of cooperation to be envisaged in the 
work plan for 2012.  For example: 
(i) Notification of agricultural policies:  The Committee has noted that its work 
is hampered by delays in the submission of agricultural policy-related 
notifications in accordance with the requirements and formats adopted in 
1995.  The Secretariat has accordingly drafted a new Handbook on agriculture notification requirement s.  This Handbook will have to be 
circulated in the course of training activities.  Members are also examining a 
series of proposals concerning "good practice" in how to present the information to be notified.  In view  of the success of the Regional Workshop 
on Agriculture Notifications held at IICA Headquarters on 13 and 14 April 2011, IICA could continue to provide support for these initiatives, 
mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean. 
(ii) Joint studies:  The Committee on Agricultu re has an ongoing need to produce 
technical documents that could be dr afted or coordinated by IICA where 
these relate to IICA's geographical sphere (Latin America and the Caribbean).  IICA has experience in preparing this kind of document and could assist the 
Committee with activities of this nature. 
(iii) Good practice handbooks:  IICA has deve loped handbooks of good practices 
for participation in international foru ms and for the notification of sanitary 
and phytosanitary measures.  IICA could draw up handbooks of this type in 
coordination with the WTO Secretaria t in order to enhance Members' 
participation in the Committee on Ag riculture and improve procedures 
relating to agriculture notifications. 
(b) Use of the WTO as a showcase for IICA's wo rk:  IICA could utilize the WTO's global 
coverage as a way of making products of  special interest to its Members better 
known.  With this in mind, IICA asks to be able to present and circulate the IICA/FAO/ECLAC joint report on the outlook for agriculture for 2010 ( Situación y 
Perspectivas de la Agricultura 2010 ) at the next meeting of the Committee on 
17 November 2011, and likewise in the years that follow. 
(c) Carrying on with the preparation of the pa per on IICA's contribution to the Marrakesh 
Decision and Food Security for the regular meetings of the Committee in November.  
In 2010, IICA prepared a first submi ssion on this subject (G/AG/GEN/93). 
7. Development of the following ac tivities is under consideration: 
(a) Participation by capital-based officials in Agriculture Committee meetings:  One 
medium-term activity is to seek financing to  promote the participation of officials 
from the capitals, and specifically gove rnment officials responsible for 
agriculture-related matters, in the regula r meetings and special sessions of the 
Committee on Agriculture.  As a preliminary step, it would be necessary to conduct a  G/AG/GEN/95 
 Page 3 
 
 
  diagnostic study of participation by agricu lture ministry officials in the Committee 
and to develop profiles for fundraising projects. 
(b) IICA will be able to support the WTO in its technical cooperation activities directed 
at ministries of agriculture, at bot h hemispheric (Inter-American Board of 
Agriculture) and subregional level (Southern  Agricultural Council;  Central American 
Agricultural Council;  Caribbean Alliance;  other ministerial bodies), or by conveying 
requests for support from such ministerial forums to the Committee on Agriculture. 
(c) Post-Doha Round training:  Once the text on  agricultural modaliti es has been worked 
out, Members will be seeking training or guidance in preparing their schedules of commitments.  The schedules will be drawn up on the basis of the technical 
parameters established in the documen t.  IICA is following the Doha Round 
negotiations on Agriculture and from the technical standpoint is ready to provide Members with such technical training or guidance.  Considering the potentially extensive demand for technical guidance, and should the WTO lack sufficient technical staff for the purpose, IICA could provide support for this activity in its 
geographical sphere (mainly Latin  America and the Caribbean). 
B. W
ITH THE WTO  INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION (ITTC) 
8. The following courses of action are under consideration: 
(a) Building up relations with the ITTC:  IICA has worked directly with the ITTC in 
arranging training events on the American c ontinent, which has helped maintain a 
strategic alliance directed at strengthening the technical cooperation provided by 
IICA to its Member States. 
(b) For 2011 and 2012, IICA has undertaken to continue supporting the WTO's trade 
policy course for countries belonging to the Latin American Integration Association (October 2011 and 2012).  Moreover, the possibility of jointly organizing 
activities in 2012 is being examined, give n the success of the two workshops on 
intellectual property and on agriculture notif ications held at IICA Headquarters in 
2011.  IICA has the strength afforded by its presence in the hemisphere, which fosters 
stronger ties with the WTO. 
(c) IICA offers to cooperate with the WTO S ecretariat in implementing the Technical 
Assistance and Training Plan for the Latin  American and Caribbean region.  IICA 
could spread awareness of this plan and essentially promote greater participation by 
public experts in the agriculture sector in tr aining activities carried out by the ITTC in 
the region. 
9. Likewise, IICA places at the ITTC's disposal its network of trade and trade negotiation 
experts, to serve as trainers in futu re courses in countries of the region. 
10. The WTO has more than 130 reference centres around the world through which it provides 
information on WTO-related devel opments and distance learning opportunities.  IICA not only has a 
distance training centre but also has proven technical capacity in this type of activity.  Among the beneficiaries, reference centres could also be set  up in regional organizations such as IICA to 
strengthen cooperation with such agencies.  Sin ce IICA has observer status in two WTO bodies, it 
might be feasible to propose setting up a refere nce centre at IICA Headquarters in San José, 
Costa Rica, with an emphasis on agriculture, sanita ry and phytosanitary measures, and international G/AG/GEN/95 
Page 4  
 
  trade.  The necessary steps will be taken in 2012 to  continue to examine whether this can be brought 
to fruition. 
III. THE AGRICULTURAL TRADE NEGOTIAT IONS WITHIN THE INSTITUTE 
11. IICA's Centre for Strategic Analysis for Ag riculture (CAESPA) will be responsible for 
relations between IICA and the WTO Secretariat and will be the unit in charge of implementing this 
work plan.  Implementation of the plan forms part  of the CAESPA's functions, which are to follow up 
on implementation-related issues concerning the Agreement on Agriculture and progress in the negotiations, and to build up capacity in administer ing agreements that emerge from the Doha Round. 
12. IICA is represented in 34 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and has an 
experienced network of experts in agriculture, inte rnational trade and trade negotiations, strategically 
located both in country offices and at Central Head quarters, through whom the technical cooperation 
activities set out in the work plan will be implemented. 
13. For further information, please contact: 
Rafael Trejos Solórzano 
Manager of CAESPA 
Tel.: +(506) 2216-0218 
E-mail: rafael.trejos@iica.int  
 
Adriana Campos Azofeifa Trade Policy and Negotiations Specialist Tel.: +(506) 2216-0170 
E-mail: adriana.campos@iica.int  
 
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