WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/724 
3 October 2006 
 
 (06-4717) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
ACTIONS AIMED AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO AGREEMENT 
ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND 
PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Information Submitted by the Inter-American Institute for  
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)  
   The following communication, received on 29 September 2006, is being circulated at the 
request of the IICA. 
 
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 1. The observer organizations of the WTO Comm ittee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS Committee) are invited to submit reports on activiti es they have carried out to contribute to the 
understanding and implementation of the SPS Agreemen t.  Accordingly, the IICA wishes to present 
some of the actions and activities that it consid ers relevant to the work of this Committee. 
I. SPS INITIATIVE FOR THE COUNTRIES OF THE AMERICAS 
2. In conjunction with the United States Depart ment of Agriculture (USDA) and with the 
collaboration of six countries that serve as a st eering committee (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, 
United States and Mexico), the IICA continues to  implement the SPS Initiative of the Americas (the 
Initiative). 
3. This Initiative, which came into force in Oc tober 2002, has now contributed to 13 consecutive 
SPS Committee meetings, supporting the active participation of the countries of the Americas and helping them build their capacity in the SPS area.  For this particular meeting, the Initiative enabled 
28 capital-based experts from 28 countries of the Americas to participate. 
4. Through its network of offices in its member countries, the IICA promoted the establishment 
of national forums to follow-up the agendas of the SPS-related internatio nal organizations, in 
particular the SPS Committee.  In this connecti on, we would like to share information concerning 
three activities conducted in Honduras, Paraguay and Venezuela. 
5. A workshop was held from 23 to 25 August in  Honduras to draw up the agenda of the 
National SPS Committee.  It was attended by the re presentatives of different government ministries, 
academic circles, and the private sector.  As a resu lt, the National Committee now has a list of subject 
areas and priority activities, as well as officials re sponsible for these subject areas and activities in the 
different sectors and institutions, with a view to improving the implementation of the SPS Agreement. 
6. It should be noted that the Agricultural and Li vestock Service of Chile cooperated in this 
activity by providing an expert to exchange e xperiences on SPS matters.  This partnership between G/SPS/GEN/724 
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  those requesting technical cooperation, the coopera tion agencies and cooperating countries is useful 
for capacity-building at the institutional level. 
7. In Paraguay, the National Technical Committ ee on SPS drafted and approved its internal 
Rules of Procedure with the support of the IICA for the technical secretariat.  Moreover, the National 
Technical Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the IICA organized and 
implemented, in the framework of the STDF-19 Pr oject, an SPS training seminar for all of the 
Committee members and other public sector officials directly involved in the implementation of the 
SPS Agreement.  The event took place in August of this year. 
8. As reported at the last meeting of this Committee, the WTO Institute for Training and 
Technical Cooperation, working with the Agricultu re and Commodities Division and the IICA, held a 
session to follow up the First Specialized WTO C ourse on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
enabling participants to provide feedback on th e content of the workshop and the challenges and 
successes encountered in implementing the projects in  their respective countries.  Once again, the 
Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile provided s upport in the form of an expert.  This follow-up 
session was attended by 16 countries. 
9. For further information on the Initiative, contact:  erick.bolanos@iica.int
 (Eric Bolaños), 
marianne.mcelroy@fas.usda.gov  (Marianne McElroy) or henry.schmick@usda.gov  (Henry Schmick).  
For further details concerning the follow- up event, contact erick.bolanos@iica.int  (Eric Bolaños) or 
Joao.Magalhaes@wto.org  (Joao Magalhães). 
II. STRENGTHENING OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL HEATH AND FOOD SAFETY 
SERVICES BY DEVELOPING A COMMON VISION AND JOINT ACTION 
10. As a follow up to the institutional moderniz ation measures that the IICA continues to 
implement in its member countries, the common vision and joint action approach was applied in a number of cases. 
11. In Paraguay, the National Plant and Seed Qua lity and Health Service (SENAVE), with the 
technical support of the IICA and the participation of the private sector, embarked on a process of 
institutional modernization and adjustment of its or ganizational structure, and on the preparation of 
operational and procedural manuals. 
12. In Paraguay and Uruguay, the methodology deve loped in connection with the Performance, 
Vision and Strategy Instrument (PVS) developed join tly with the OIE was applied.  In Ecuador, the 
food safety tool was applied in cooperation with PAHO. 
13. For further information contact ana.cordero@iica.int
 (Ana Cordero). 
III. SUPPORT FOR THE DISSEMINA TION OF INFORMATION 
14. The IICA has various bulletins and channels of  communication to promote the exchange of 
information on SPS matters and the work of the WTO,  the relevant international organizations, and 
the regional organizations. 
15. The electronic bulletin CODEX-MSF Opinion Forum  specializes in the events taking place in 
the Codex Alimentarius and the SPS Committee.  The bulletin reports and analyses standards and 
activities that have taken place, and aims to enhan ce the dissemination and study of these matters.  Its 
readership comprises first and foremost the countri es of South America, but it is available to all 
members at www.iica.org.ar .  For further information contact mlfonalleras@iica.org.ar  
(Lourdes Fonalleras).  G/SPS/GEN/724 
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  16. The information system AGROSALUD is dedicat ed to the distribution of information on 
agricultural health and food safety, and the areas it covers include standards a nd actions carried out at 
the WTO and relevant international organizations .  It is available at www.infoagro.net/salud  in 
Spanish, and www.agrihealth.ws  in English.  For further informat ion, contact ericka.calderon@iica.int  
(Ericka Calderón). 
IV. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES 
17. In the countries of the Andean region (Venezuel a, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru) an 
analysis has been undertaken of the current situ ation with respect to the issue of traceability for 
certain agri-food chains that are considered to have priority.  The pro cess involves considerable 
public/private coordination.  An investment proj ect is also being prepared with the view to 
implementing a "country project" in this area.  Th e Government of Brazil has been an important 
partner in implementing the workshops at the na tional level.  For more information, contact 
jflores@iica.int.ve  (Jaime Flores). 
18. The IICA Office in Argentina continues to le nd technical support to the Secretariat for 
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of Arge ntina (SAGPyA), specifically to the Chair of the 
Codex Committee for Latin America and the Cari bbean (CCLAC), and the SPS Enquiry Point in 
Argentina.  For more information, contact mlfonalleras@iica.org.ar  (Lourdes Fonalleras). 
19. With resources provided by the USDA, the IICA supported the FAO and the IPPC for the 
workshop on the review of plant health standards,  held on 21 and 22 August in Santiago, Chile.  The 
participants who received funding we re urged to coordinate with th eir countries' representatives on the 
SPS Committee and to give particular attention to th e draft standard on regionalization.  The objective 
of this effort was to promote the joint work by  specialists covering the relevant international 
organizations and the SPS Committee.  For furthe r information, contact maureen.obando@iica.int  
(Maureen Obando). 
20. From 30 October to 2 November, the IICA will be  working together with the OIE, the IPPC 
and the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission in a regional workshop organized by the WTO 
in Colombia.  The workshop will be attended by ten countries of South America.  For further details 
contact erick.bolanos@iica.int  (Eric Bolaños). 
Inter-American Institute for C ooperation on Agriculture (IICA) 
Agricultural Health and Food Safety 
http://www.infoagro.net/salud  
http://www.iica.int  
 
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