WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
9 June 2008 
 (08-2698) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AN D TRAINING ACTIVITIES 
(1 SEPTEMBER 1994 TO 31 DECEMBER 2007) 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
Revision  
  
1. This document provides an update of all the SPS technical assistance (TA) and training 
activities undertaken by the Secretariat from 1 September 1994 to 31 December 2007.  A general 
overview of all WTO trade-related technical assistance  activities up to 2007 has been circulated to the 
Committee on Trade and Development in document WT/COMTD/W/165.  
2. The main objective of SPS technical assistan ce and training activities undertaken by the 
Secretariat is to increase partic ipants' awareness about Members' rights and obligations under the SPS 
Agreement and its implications for national policymaking.  Furthermore, the SPS technical assistance provided by the Secretariat update participants on the discussions held in  the SPS Committee.  The 
programme and presentations are adapted to take into account the level of familiarity with the 
Agreement of the participants, the level of deve lopment of the countries, and any specific concern 
relating to the implementation of the Agreemen t in order to meet and respond to individual 
national/regional needs.  SPS technical assist ance and training activities typically include 
presentations on the basic provisions of the SPS Agreement, including the transparency provisions, on 
implementation problems and specific trade concerns, as well as on WTO dispute settlement.  There 
may also be a specific focus on issues such  as risk analysis and equivalence.   
3. Altogether, 158 SPS TA and training activities have been undertaken over the period 
1 September 1994 to 31 December 2007.  In 2007, 14 SPS technical assistance and training activities 
were undertaken;  four regional or sub-regiona l workshops, seven national seminars, two other 
activities and one SPS specialized trade policy course were held.  
4. For each of these 158 events, the annexed table id entifies the type of activity; the region, 
venue and dates;  participating countries; the language used; as well as whether representatives from 
the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Code x), the World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), and the International Plant Protection Conv ention (IPPC) participated in the activity.  A 
regional workshop refers to an activity organized by the WTO in which a region or sub-region was 
invited to participate.  A national seminar refers to  an activity undertaken at the national level only.  
The "other" category refers to all other  SPS TA a nd training activities that do not fall under either of 
the first two categories.  This includes other types of SPS-specific activities organized by the WTO Secretariat as well as activities organized by Member s or other bodies in which the WTO Secretariat 
participated.  Not included in this listing of TA  activities, however, are the many WTO-organized 
workshops, seminars or courses which include sessions on the SPS Agreement among other topics. 
                                                     
 
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. G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 2  
 
  5. The information is organized on an annual basi s and in alphabetical order based on the region 
where the activity was undertaken, with the more recen t activities listed first.  Detailed information is 
not available for all technical assistance activities undertaken prior to 1999. 
6. SPS TA activities are organized in close collabora tion with Members, the three international 
standard-setting organizations referred in the SPS Ag reement (Codex, OIE and the IPPC), as well as 
with regional organizations, when a ppropriate.  For example, Codex has participated in 65, OIE in 62 
and the IPPC in 52 regional workshops since 1994.  
7. To ensure that the officials who participate in regional activities are those with responsibilities 
in the food safety, animal health or plant protec tion area within their national administrations, the 
WTO normally sends invitations directly to the Codex,  IPPC and OIE contact points, as well as to the 
SPS Enquiry Point of each of the Members invited.  This practice is now well-established and it has 
ensured that the participants have the technical expertise to profit from the training offered.   
8. To meet demands for more advanced SPS TA  and training activities, a three-week SPS 
Specialized Trade Policy Course has been develope d.  A first Specialized Trade Policy Course was 
delivered in 2005 in Spanish, with the cooperation of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation in 
Agriculture (IICA).  A second course was held in Engl ish in 2006, with the collaboration of the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE).  A third c ourse was offered in French in October 2007.  The 
next SPS Specialized Course is schedul ed for September and October 2008. 
9. In addition, to the other technical assistance activities, starting in 2007, the WTO offered an 
e-learning course on the SPS Agreement.  This firs t course was offered in English,  with the 
successful participation of 76 individuals: 10 from Africa; 20 from Arab and Middle East Countries; 9 
from Asia and the Pacific; 5 from Central and East ern Europe and Central Asia; and 32 from Latin 
America and the Caribbean. 
10. In 2007, SPS (Sub) Regional Workshops were undertaken for Asia and Pacific, Latin 
America and the Caribbean, English-speaking Africa and  French-speaking Africa.  Representatives 
from the Codex, OIE and IPPC participated in all four workshops.   
11. Chart 1 lists the breakdown of the type of ac tivities undertaken in 2007 and Chart 2 shows the 
number of activities per year.    G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Chart 1 
SPS Technical Assistance Activities 2007
7
4
2
1
-12345678
National Seminars (Sub) Regional Workshops Others SPS Specialized Trade
Policy CourseNumber of Activities
 
 
Chart 2 
SPS Technical Assistance Activities per year
4
136
4877
49
7
1353
123
311
10
7
73
4
24
16
13
4
4
23
211
1
0510152025
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
YearNumber of activities 
National Seminar (Sub) Regional Workshop Other SPS Specialized Trade Policy Course
 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 4  
 
  Chart 3 
Type of SPS Technical Assistance Activities 1994-2007
National Seminars,  60 , 
38%
(Sub) Regional 
Workshops,  63 , 40%Other,  32 , 20%SPS Specialized Trade 
Policy Course,  3 , 2%
Nati onal Seminars (Sub) Regional Workshops Other SPS Specialized Trade Policy Course
 
 
  12. Chart 3  presents a breakdown of the type of ac tivity undertaken (63 re gional or sub-regional 
workshops, 60 national seminars, 32 "other" activ ities and 3 SPS  specialized trade policy courses). 
Chart 4 
SPS Technical Assistance Activities Per Region
16
12 12
5
11421
511
5
3187
112
65
1305101520253035404550
Africa Arab and Middle
East CountriesAsia and the
PacificCentral and
Eastern Europe
and Central AsiaEurope Latin America
and the
CaribbeanNorth America Global
RegionActivities
National Seminar (Sub) Regional Workshop Other SPS Specialized Trade Policy Course  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
 Page 5 
 
 
  13. Chart 4 shows the number and type of TA activ ity per region and Chart 5 presents the total 
number of participants who have attended SPS TA and training activities per region and per type of 
activity.  Overall, a total of 6,040 people have b een given training by the WTO Secretariat on the SPS 
Agreement since 1994.  
Chart 5 
Participants per Region 1994-2007
773
261437
264155710213
0250
83190363
567689
244
0722
50 69
020040060080010001200140016001800
Africa Arab and Middle
East CountriesAsia and the
PacificCentral and
Eastern Europe
and Central AsiaEurope Latin America and
the CaribbeanNorth America Global
RegionParticipants
(Sub) Regional Workshop Other SPS Specialized Trade Policy Course National Seminar 
 
Chart 6 
Breakdown of country participation from 1994 to 2007
LDCs
 213 
24%
Developed Countries
 32 
4%Developing Countries 
 643 
72%
 
 G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 6  
 
  14. As shown in Chart 6, 24 per cent of the bene ficiaries of all SPS TA and training activities 
undertaken by the Secretariat have been from l east-developed countries (LDCs),  72 per cent from 
developing countries, and 4  pe r cent from developed countries. 
Chart 7 
 
Language breakdown of SPS Technical Assistance activities
English
113
67%Other
15
9%
Spanish
27
16%
French
14
8%
English Other Spanish French 
 
  15. Chart 7 presents the language breakdown of all SPS TA and training activities that have been 
undertaken.  Overall, 67 per cent of activities have be en conducted in English, 27 per cent in Spanish, 
and eight per cent in French.  The remaining 15 pe r cent have been undertaken in "other" languages 
than the ones mentioned above, incl uding Arabic, Portuguese and Russian. 
  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 7Annex 
 
SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AN D TRAINING ACTIVITIES 
(1 SEPTEMBER 1994 TO 31 DECEMBER 2007) 
 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2007 Africa2 (Sub) Regional  
Workshop Zambia Lusaka 10/12/2007  12/12/2007 Ethiopia, Malawi, 
Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia Egypt, Kenya, 
Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zimbabwe   62 Yes Yes Yes English 
2007 Africa Other Sweden Stockholm 03/10/2007  05/10/2007 D.R. Congo, Lesotho, 
Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania Botswana, Mauritius,
 
Namibia, South Africa,  
Swaziland 
  49 n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
2007 Africa (Sub) Regional  
Workshop Mali Bamako 20/02/2007  23/02/2007 Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal,  Togo Côte d'Ivoire  45 Yes Yes Yes French 
2007 Africa Other Sweden Stockholm  24/01/2007  26/01/2007 Burundi, Ethiopia, 
Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia Kenya
 
  28 n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
2007 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National Yemen Sana'a 20/11/2007
 21/11/2007 Yemen   64 No No No English 
2007 Asia and the 
Pacific National Indonesia Jakarta 24/07/2007  25/07/2007  Indonesia  125 No No No English 
2007 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional  
Workshop India New Delhi 24/04/2007  26/04/2007 Bangladesh, Bhutan, 
Maldives, Nepal India, Pakistan, Sri 
Lanka  37 Yes Yes Yes English 
2007 Asia and the 
Pacific National Sri Lanka Colombo 21/03/2007  22/03/2007  Sri Lanka  26 No No No English 
                                                      
2 Also invited: Eritrea and Libya.  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 8 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2007 Global SPS 
Specialized Trade Policy
 
Course Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 15/10/2007  02/11/2007 Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Guinea, Haiti, 
Madagascar, Mali, 
Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo Cameroon, Georgia, 
Morocco, Mauritius, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine   24 Yes Yes Yes French 
2007 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean National Nicaragua Managua 13/11/2007  15/11/2007  Nicaragua  64 No No No Spanish 
2007 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National El Salvador San Salvador 25/09/2007
 26/09/2007  El Salvador  45 No No No Spanish 
2007 Latin America 
and the Caribbean
3 (Sub) Regional  
Workshop Jamaica Kingston 31/07/2007  02/08/2007 Haiti Antigua & Barbuda, 
Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent &  the Grenadines, Suriname, 
Trinidad & Tobago  48 Yes Yes Yes English 
2007 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National  Ecuador Quito 06/06/2007
 08/06/2007  Ecuador  37 No No No Spanish 
2007 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Mexico Mexico City 
and Hermosillo 12/02/2007
 16/02/2007  Mexico  276 No No No Spanish 
2006 Africa National 
Seminar Ethiopia Addis Ababa 20/09/2006  22/09/2006 Ethiopia   52 No Yes No English 
2006 Africa National 
Seminar Djibouti Djibouti 17/09/2006  20/09/2006 Djibouti   10 No Yes No French 
                                                      
3 Also invited: Bahamas.  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 9Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2006 Africa National 
Seminar Madagascar Antananarivo 13/07/2006  14/07/2006 Madagascar   34 No No No French 
2006 Africa National 
Seminar Angola Luanda 29/05/2006  31/05/2006 Angola   30 No No No Portuguese 
2006 Africa National 
Seminar Rwanda Kigali 28/02/2006  02/03/2006 Rwanda   27 No No No English 
2006 Arab and 
Middle East Countries (Sub) Regional
 
Workshop Egypt Cairo 12/06/2006  15/06/2006   Iraq, Libya, Syria, 
Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates  75 Yes Yes Yes English 
2006 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Egypt Cairo 12/06/2006
 15/06/2006   Egypt  75 No Yes No English 
2006 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Japan Tokyo 30/10/2006  31/10/2006    Japan 22 No No No English 
2006 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Vietnam Hanoi 10/10/2006  13/10/2006 Cambodia Vietnam, Thailand  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
2006 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Sweden Stockholm 26/09/2006  28/09/2006 Cambodia, Laos, Nepal  Cambodia, China, 
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam   31 No No No English 
2006 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia National 
Seminar Bulgaria Sofia 25/07/2006
 26/07/2006   Bulgaria  24 No No No English 
2006 Central and 
Eastern 
Europe and Central Asia (Sub) Regional
 
Workshop Austria Vienna 17/07/2006  19/07/2006   Belarus,  Kazakhstan, 
Russian Federation, 
Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova  22 Yes Yes Yes English  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 10 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2006 Global SPS 
Specialized Trade Policy
 
Course Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 16/10/2006  27/10/2006 Angola, Bhutan, Lao 
P.D.R. Nepal, Rwanda, Antigua and Barbuda, 
China, Dominica, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, 
Oman, Pakistan, 
Philippines, Russian Federation, Swaziland, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Tonga, Zimbabwe  24 Yes Yes Yes   
2006 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Cuba Havana 15/11/2006
 17/11/2006   Cuba  18 No No No Spanish 
2006 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean National 
Seminar Colombia Bogotá 03/11/2006  03/11/2006   Colombia  50 Yes Yes Yes Spanish 
2006 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional
 
Workshop Colombia Bogotá 30/10/2006  02/11/2006   Argentina, Bolivia, 
Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venzuela  68 Yes Yes Yes Spanish 
2005 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Mali Bamako 03/10/2005  07/10/2005 Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Mali,  Senegal, Togo Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria  46 Yes Yes Yes French 
2005 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop South Africa Johannesburg  01/08/2005  05/08/2005 Angola, Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania Botswana, Namibia, 
South Africa, Swaziland
  47 Yes Yes Yes English 
2005 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Zambia Lusaka 19/07/2005  22/07/2005 Malawi,  Mozambique, 
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia Botswana, Ghana, 
Kenya  27 Yes No No English  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 11Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2005 Africa Other South Africa  Johannesburg  21/03/2005  23/03/2005 Mozambique, Tanzania, 
Zambia Botswana, Egypt, 
Jordan, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Palestine, South Africa, Swaziland, Tunisia   20 No No No English 
2005 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 14/11/2005
 18/11/2005  Iraq  24 No No No English 
2005 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Australia Melbourne 01/12/2005  01/12/2005 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No No No English 
2005 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Fiji Suva 22/11/2005  24/11/2005 Kiribati, Samoa, 
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Cook Islands, Fiji, 
Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, 
Niue, Palau, Papua 
New Guinea,  Tonga.  n.a. 44 Yes No Yes English 
2005 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Thailand Bangkok 10/10/2005  12/10/2005 Cambodia, Lao PDR, 
Myanmar China, Indonesia, 
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam n.a. 59 Yes Yes Yes English 
2005 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar India New Delhi 17/04/2005  20/04/2005  India  75 Yes No No English 
2005 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar Chinese Taipei Taipei 29/03/2005  30/03/2005  Chinese Taipei  150 Yes No No English 
2005 Global SPS 
Specialized Trade Policy Course Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 31/10/2005
 11/11/2005 Haiti, Mozambique Argentina, Belice, 
Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El 
Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sao Tome and Principe, Uruguay  21 No No No Spanish  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 12 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2005 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Nicaragua Managua 30/11/2005
 02/12/2005  Bolivia, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 
Mexico, Nicaragua, 
Panama,  Peru  55 Yes Yes Yes Spanish 
2005 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Ecuador Quito 11/09/2005
 13/09/2005  Ecuador  25 No No No Spanish 
2005 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Jamaica Kingston 16/02/2005
 18/02/2005  Antigua and Barbuda, 
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bulgaria, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, 
Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago   57 Yes Yes Yes English 
2004 Africa Other Sweden Stockholm 26/09/2004  22/10/2004 Mozambique, Tanzania, 
Zambia Botswana, Egypt, 
Morocco, Jordan, Mauritius, Namibia, 
Palestine, Swaziland, 
South Africa, Tunisia  21 No No No English 
2004 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Madagascar Antananarivo 18/08/2004  20/08/2004 Burundi, Central African 
Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
Djibouti, Madagascar, 
Rwanda  Congo  50 Yes Yes No French 
2004 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Mozambique Maputo 10/02/2004  12/02/2004 Angola, Lesotho, 
Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia   Botswana, Namibia, 
Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe  37 Yes Yes Yes English 
2004 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar United Arab 
Emirates Dubai 25/09/2004
 26/09/2004  United Arab Emirates  30 No No No English  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 13Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2004 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Yemen Saana 14/09/2004
 15/09/2004  Yemen  48 No No No English/ 
Arabic 
2004 Arab and 
Middle East Countries (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Lebanese 
Republic Beirut 04/05/2004
 06/05/2004 Yemen Bahrain, Jordan, 
Lebanese Republic, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates   70 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
Arabic 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Australia Melbourne 09/12/2004  09/12/2004 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No No No English 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Singapore Singapore 30/11/2004  02/12/2004 Cambodia China, Indonesia, 
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese 
Taipei, Thailand, Viet 
Nam  39 Yes Yes Yes English 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar Tonga Nuku'alofa 30/11/2004  01/12/2004  Tonga  23 No No No English 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Bangladesh Dhaka 18/10/2004  20/10//2004 Bangladesh, Nepal Sri Lanka, Pakistan  38 Yes Yes Yes English 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar Maldives Male 28/09/2004  29/09/2004 Maldives   25 No No No English 
2004 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Thailand Chiang Mai 12/07/2004  16/07/2004 Bangladesh, Bhutan, 
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar Brunei Darussalam, 
India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, 
Viet Nam   40 Yes Yes No English 
2004 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia National 
Seminar Turkey Ankara 27/09/2004
 29/09/2004  Turkey  100 No No No English/ 
Turkish 
2004 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Austria Vienna 27/07/2004
 29/07/2004   Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan  29 Yes Yes Yes English   
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 14 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2004 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia National 
Seminar Moldova Chisinau 28/04/2004
 30/04/2004   Moldova  60 No No No English 
2004 Europe Other Switzerland Lausanne and 
Geneva 14/06/2004  18/06/2004 Maldives, Nepal, 
Rwanda Egypt, Guatemala, 
Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Viet Nam Switzerland 28 No No No English 
2004 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean National 
Seminar São Tomé e 
Príncipe São Tomé 07/09/2004  09/09/2004  São Tomé e Príncipe  25 No No No Portuguese 
2004 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Chile Santiago 09/03/2004
 11/03/2004   Argentina, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, 
Venezuela  52 Yes Yes Yes Spanish 
2003 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Uganda Kampala 11/11/2003  13/11/2003 Eritrea, Ethiopia,  
Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda Kenya  35 Yes Yes Yes English 
2003 Africa National 
Seminar Nigeria Abuja 08/10/2003  09/10/2003   Nigeria  30 No No No English 
2003 Africa National 
Seminar Gambia Banjul 01/10/2003  02/10/2003 Gambia   20 No No No English 
2003 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Benin  Cotonou 14/05/2003  16/05/2003 Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo Côte d'Ivoire  45 Yes No No French 
2003 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Bahrain  Manama 14/10/2003
 15/10/2003    Bahrain  26 No No No English 
2003 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Lebanese 
Republic Beirut 04/09/2003
 04/09/2003   Lebanese Republic  40 No No No English/ 
Arabic 
2003 Arab and 
Middle East Countries (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Cyprus Nicosia 02/06/2003
 04/06/2003   Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, 
Lebanese Republic, Syria  36 Yes Yes No English 
2003 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Sri Lanka Colombo 09/12/2003  10/12/2003 Bangladesh, Cambodia, 
Lao PDR, Myanmar India, Pakistan, Sri 
Lanka, Viet Nam  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. English  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 15Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2003 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Australia Brisbane 02/12/2003  02/12/2003 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No No No English 
2003 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Indonesia Jakarta 05/03/2003  07/03/2003 Cambodia Indonesia, Malaysia, 
Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam  18 Yes Yes Yes English 
2003 Central and 
Eastern Europe and 
Central Asia (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Albania Tirana 20/10/2003
 23/10/2003   Albania, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR of 
Macedonia, Romania, 
Serbia and Montenegro
  32 n.a. Yes Yes English 
2003 Central and 
Eastern Europe and 
Central Asia National 
Seminar Kyrgyz 
Republic Bishkek 30/08/2003
 01/09/2003   Kyrgyz Republic  30 No No No English/ 
Russian 
2003 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia National 
Seminar Georgia Tblisi 15/08/2003
 17/08/2003   Georgia  30 No No No English/ 
Russian 
2003 Europe Other Sweden Stockholm 28/09/2003  24/10/2003 Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, 
Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda Cameroon, Côte 
d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, FYR of Macedonia, Nigeria  29 No No No English 
2003 Europe Other Sweden Stockholm 30/04/2003  01/05/2003   Albania, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro  26 No No No English 
2003 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Saint Kitts and 
Nevis Basseterre 22/07/2003
 24/07/2003   Antigua and Barbuda, 
Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,  15 No No No English 
2003 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Uruguay Montevideo 21/07/2003
 23/07/2003   Argentina, Bolivia, 
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay  50 Yes Yes Yes Spanish  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 16 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2003 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Bolivia La Paz 05/05/2003
 07/05/2003   Bolivia  n.a. No No No Spanish 
2003 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Ecuador Quito 28/04/2003
 30/04/2003   Bolivia, Chile, 
Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela  41 Yes No Yes Spanish 
2003 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Dominican 
Republic Santo 
Domingo 24/03/2003  26/03/2003   Cuba, Dominican 
Republic, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela  48 Yes Yes Yes Spanish 
2003 North America Other United States Washington, 
DC 08/03/2003  09/03/2003     United States 50 No No No English 
2002 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Angola Luanda 09/12/2002  11/12/2002 Angola, Cape Verde, 
Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe   60 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
Portuguese 
2002 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Lesotho Maseru 02/12/2002  05/12/2002  Lesotho   Botswana, Namibia, 
South Africa, Zimbabwe   26 Yes Yes Yes English 
2002 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Tunisia Tunis 30/09/2002  01/10/2002   Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, 
Jordan, Lebanese Republic, Malta, 
Morocco, 
Tunisia,Turkey  60 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
French 
2002 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Zambia Lusaka 03/06/2002  05/06/2002 Ethiopia, Malawi, 
Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia Kenya, Seychelles  46 Yes Yes Yes English 
2002 Africa National 
Seminar Mauritius Port Louis  31/05/2002  31/05/2002   Mauritius  40 No No No English 
2002 Arab and 
Middle East 
Countries National 
Seminar Oman Muscat 08/04/2002  09/04/2002   Oman  30 No No No English 
2002 Arab and 
Middle East Countries (Sub) Regional 
Workshop United Arab 
Emirates Dubai  03/02/2002
 05/02/2002   Bahrein, Kuwait, Oman, 
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates  40 Yes Yes Yes English  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 17Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific Other China Beijing 11/12/2002  12/12/2002   China, Korea, Malaysia, 
Thailand  New Zealand, 
United States 57 No Yes Yes English 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Australia Brisbane 25/02/2002  01/03/2002   China, India, Indonesia, 
Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam Australia, 
Japan, New Zealand n.a. No No No English 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar China Beijing 01/02/2002  01/02/2002   China  40 No No No English 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar China Beijing 28/01/2002  30/01/2002   China  40 No No No English 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar China Beijing 25/01/2002  25/01/2002   China  20 No No No English 
2002 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar China Xiamen 22/01/2002  23/01/2002   China  150 No No No English 
2002 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Russia Moscow 03/09/2002
 05/09/2002   Albania, Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia, 
Tajikistan, 
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan  51 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
Russian 
2002 Europe (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Estonia Tallinn 05/03/2002  07/03/2002     Estonia, Latvia, 
Lithuania 35 Yes Yes Yes English 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Paraguay Asuncion 21/10/2002
 22/10/2002   Paraguay  72 No No No Spanish 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean Other Dominican 
Republic n.a. 14/09/2002
 20/09/2002 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No Yes No Spanish  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 18 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Barbados Bridgetown 11/09/2002
 13/09/2002   Antigua and Barbuda, 
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, 
Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago  37 Yes Yes Yes English 
2002 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Panama Panama City 03/06/2002  05/06/2002   Belize, Costa Rica, 
Cuba, Dominican 
Republic, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama  53 Yes No No Spanish 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Peru Lima 27/05/2002
 28/05/2002   Peru  60 No No No Spanish 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Peru Lima 22/05/2002
 24/05/2002   Brazil, Chile, El 
Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru
 Canada, New Zealand, United
 
States 30 n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
2002 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Mexico Merida 16/05/2002
 17/05/2002   China, Indonesia, 
Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Thailand Viet Nam Australia, 
Japan, New Zealand, United
 
States 50 No No No English 
2001 Africa National 
Seminar Kenya Nairobi 28/08/2001  29/08/2001   Kenya  n.a. Yes Yes Yes English 
2001 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Cameroon Yaoundé 05/06/2001  07/06/2001 Central African 
Republic, Chad, 
Democratic Republic of 
the Congo, Equatorial Guinea  Cameroon,  Gabon  45 Yes Yes Yes French  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 19Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2001 Africa Other Botswana Gaborone 05/03/2001  09/03/2001 Angola, Democratic 
Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia Botswana, Mauritius, 
Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland,  Zimbabwe  25 No No No English 
2001 Africa National 
Seminar Egypt Cairo 05/02/2001  05/02/2001   Egypt  40 No No No English 
2001 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Egypt Cairo 31/01/2001  31/01/2001 Mauritania, Sudan Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, 
Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, 
Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,Tunisia, United Arab Emirates   n.a. No No No English 
2001 Africa National 
Seminar Democratic 
Republic of the 
Congo Kinshasa 15/01/2001  19/01/2001 Democratic Republic of 
the Congo    40 No No No English 
2001 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar Chinese Taipei Taipei 03/12/2001  06/12/2001   Chinese Taipei  n.a. No No No English 
2001 Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Iran Tehran 05/03/2001
 08/03/2001   Albania, Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, 
Moldova, Russia, 
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan  130 Yes Yes Yes English 
2000 Africa Other Morocco Casablanca 13/11/2000  13/11/2000   Morocco  n.a. No No No French 
2000 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan 16/05/2000  17/05/2000 Burkina Faso, Mali  Côte d'Ivoire  8 Yes Yes Yes French 
2000 Africa National 
Seminar Mali Bamako 03/04/2000  07/04/2000 Mali    n.a. No No No French 
2000 Africa Other Senegal Dakar 24/01/2000  26/01/2000 Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, 
Mauritius,  Nigeria  70 Yes Yes Yes French  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 20 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2000 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Turkey Ankara 21/09/2000
 21/09/2000   Turkey  60 No No No English/ 
Turkish 
2000 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Jordan Amman 05/06/2000
 06/06/2000   Jordan  130 No No No English 
2000 Arab and 
Middle East 
Countries Other United Arab 
Emirates Dubai  28/03/2000  29/03/2000   Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, 
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 
United Arab Emirates  n.a. Yes No No English 
2000 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Belarus Minsk 14/12/2000  14/12/2000   Armenia, Azerbaijan, 
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, 
Russia, Ukraine, 
Uzbekistan  n.a. No No No English 
2000 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Philippines Manila 20/11/2000  20/11/2000   Philippines  40 Yes No No English 
2000 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Australia Adelaide 21/02/2000  25/02/2000   Argentina, Brazil, Chile, 
China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Swaziland, Thailand, Uruguay, Viet Nam Canada, 
European Communities 60 Yes No No English 
2000 Europe National 
Seminar Portugal Lisbon n.a. n.a.      n.a. No No No Portuguese 
2000 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean National 
Seminar Panama Panama City 17/10/2000  18/10/2000   Panama  50 Yes No No Spanish 
2000 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Uruguay Montevideo 10/10/2000
 11/10/2000   Argentina, Brazil, 
Panama, Uruguay  n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Spanish 
2000 Latin America 
and the Caribbean Other Brazil Fortaleza 08/08/2000
 10/08/2000 n.a. Brazil n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 21Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
2000 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Cuba La Habana 29/05/2000
 30/05/2000   Cuba  n.a. Yes No No Spanish 
1999 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Namibia Windhoek 29/03/1999  01/04/1999 Angola, Democratic 
Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia Botswana, Mauritius, 
Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe  74 Yes Yes Yes English 
1999 Arab and 
Middle East Countries National 
Seminar Jordan Amman 24/11/1999
 25/11/1999   Jordan  20 No No No English 
1999 Arab and 
Middle East 
Countries National 
Seminar Bahrain Manama 22/11/1999  22/11/1999   Bahrain  20 No No No English 
1999 Asia and the 
Pacific National 
Seminar Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 16/09/1999  17/09/1999   Mongolia  15 No No No English 
1999 Asia and the 
Pacific Other Australia Melbourne 25/02/1999  26/02/1999 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
1999 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Costa Rica San Jose 24/02/1999
 25/02/1999   Costa Rica, Dominican 
Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, 
Panama  26 No No No Spanish 
1998 Africa National 
Seminar Uganda Kampala n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No Yes No English 
1998 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Philippines Manila 30/06/1998  03/07/1998 Cambodia, Myanmar, 
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu Fiji, Indonesia, 
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Chinese Taipei, Tonga, Viet Nam  New Zealand, 
United States 72 Yes Yes Yes English 
1997 Africa National 
Seminar Nigeria Abuja 19/11/1997  20/11/1997   Nigeria  n.a. Yes No No English 
1997 Africa National 
Seminar Kenya Nairobi 24/06/1997  24/06/1997   Kenya  n.a. No No No English 
1997 Africa National 
Seminar Ghana Accra 09/06/1997  09/06/1997   Ghana  40 No No No English  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 22 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
1997 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop India New Delhi 30/09/1997  01/10/1997 Bangladesh, Maldives, 
Nepal China, Pakistan, Sri 
Lanka  15 Yes Yes Yes English 
1997 Europe Other Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 26/03/1997  26/03/1997 Haïti, Senegal Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, 
Morocco   France n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. French 
1997 Europe Other Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 12/03/1997  12/03/1997   Argentina, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela Spain n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Spanish 
1997 Europe Other Switzerland Geneva 
(WTO) 06/03/1997  06/03/1997   Chile, Czech Republic, 
Egypt, India, Mauritius, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Slovenia, South Africa,Thailand Canada, Spain, 
Norway n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
1997 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Colombia Bogota n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. No Yes No Spanish 
1997 Latin America 
and the Caribbean National 
Seminar Venezuela Caracas 11/12/1997
 11/12/1997   Venezuela  n.a. No No No Spanish 
1997 Latin America 
and the Caribbean Other Trinidad & 
Tobago Port of Spain 09/12/1997
 11/12/1997 Haïti Antigua and Barbuda, 
Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, 
Dominican Republic, 
Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago   n.a. No Yes No English 
1997 Latin America 
and the Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Mexico Mexico City 23/01/1997
 23/01/1997 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. English 
1996 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Egypt Cairo 18/12/1996  19/12/1996   Egypt, Israel, Jordan, 
Morocco, Tunisia   60 Yes Yes Yes English  
   G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3
 Page 23Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
1996 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Zimbabwe Harare 18/11/1996  22/11/1996 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Yes No No English 
1996 Arab and 
Middle East Countries (Sub) Regional 
Workshop United Arab 
Emirates Dubai  15/12/1996
 16/12/1996 Yemen Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, 
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates  40 Yes Yes Yes English 
1996 Europe (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Russia Moscow 09/07/1996  10/07/1996   Belarus,  Kazakhstan, 
Moldova,  Russia, Ukraine  80 Yes Yes Yes English 
1996 Europe (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Czech 
Republic Prague 28/03/1996  29/03/1996   Albania, Bulgaria, 
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR of 
Macedonia, Poland, 
Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia United States 40 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
Czech 
1995 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Pretoria South Africa 07/11/1995  08/11/1995 Lesotho, Zambia Kenya, Mauritius, 
Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland,  Zimbabwe United States n.a. Yes Yes Yes English 
1995 Africa (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Senegal Dakar 02/11/1995  03/11/1995 Burkina Faso, Mali , 
Senegal    n.a. Yes Yes Yes French/ 
English 
1995 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Mexico Mexico City 01/05/1996  01/05/1996   Argentina, Barbados, 
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Lucia, Uruguay, Venezuela  Canada, United 
States 80 Yes Yes Yes English/ 
Spanish 
1995 Latin America 
and the Caribbean Other Honduras Tegucigalpa 30/11/1995
 01/12/1995   Honduras  40 n.a. n.a. n.a. Spanish 
1995 Latin America 
and the 
Caribbean Other Colombia Bogota 19/07/1995  19/07/1995   Colombia  150 No Yes No English  
  G/SPS/GEN/521/Rev.3 
Page 24 
Participating Countries Participation of 
representatives from  
the standard-setting 
organizations Year Region SPS TA 
Activity Host Country Location From To 
LDCs Developing Developed Participants 
Codex  OIE IPPC Language 
1994 Asia and the 
Pacific (Sub) Regional 
Workshop Thailand Bangkok 08/11/1994  09/11/1994   Indonesia, Malaysia, 
Philippines, South Korea, Thailand  55 Yes Yes Yes English 
n.a.: information not available 
 
__________