WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/664 
28 March 2006 
 (06-1413) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS AGREEMENT 
 
Information for the Workshop on 31 March 2006
 
 
Communication from The Gambia  
  
 The following communication, received on 27 Marc h 2006, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of The Gambia. 
 
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  1. In preparation for the Workshop on the Implem entation of the SPS Agreement, participants 
were invited to provide information relating to th eir experiences in relation to the issues to be 
discussed. 
Question 1
 
 
How regularly do representativ es of your country participate in meetings of the SPS 
Committee?  
2. Representatives do not regularly participate in meetings of the SPS Committee.  As far as we 
re aware, this is the first meeting to be attended by the country’s representatives. 
Question 2 
 
 
 What information do you receive regarding meetings of the SPS committee, and how do 
you receive this information? 
 
3. Information regarding meetings of the SPS Committee are only received through the course 
of WTO national workshops. 
Question 3  
 
 Does your country have a SPS national committee? 
 
4. There is no national SPS national committee but  a national Food Safety Committee which 
comprises different food safety implementing agencies. G/SPS/GEN/664 
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  Question 4
 
  How do your exporters find out about your trading partners new SPS requirements? 
 
5. The requirements of trading partners new requirements are found through contact with 
national institutions depending on the type of co mmodities the consignor or consignee intends to 
export or import. 
Question 5
 
  What national mechanism can be created to  ensure that stakeholders in your country 
are informed in the timely manner of new SPS requirements, so that the SPS requirements of 
trading partners can be evaluated and so the vi ews of relevant stakeholders can be taken into 
account when responding to SPS notifications?  
6. The Commonwealth Secretariat is currently assis ting to develop the Standards Bureau to be a 
functional entity in accordance with international norms .  One of the interventions will be to establish 
an Enquiry Point, which will receive and send S PS notifications and also act as a database for 
information dissemination to stakeholders.  The Ag ricultural Pest Management Unit will act as the 
focal point for the International Plant Protection Convention. 
Question 6
 
 
 In establishing such mechanisms, how ca n Members identify the relevant domestic 
stakeholders and promote effective interaction among those stakeholders that can be sustained 
over time? 
 
7. The Bureau, in collaboration with the Agricu ltural Pest Management Unit, will establish 
linkages through the Enquiry Point so as to encourag e effective and efficient interactions between the 
members and the relevant  domestic stakeholders. 
Question 7  
  How can information about SPS requirements be transmitted to groups outside of 
capital? 
 
8. Information will be transmitted through: 
• Sensitization/ awareness campaigns through the print and electronic media and 
workshops; 
• Training of phytosanitary inspectors to tr ansmit the information so gained;  and 
• Training for all categories of stakeholders. 
 
Question 8
 
 
 Has there been any national planning on  how to implement the SPS Agreement in your 
country? If so, was this planning deve loped using a particular methodology? 
 
9. There has not been any national planning for the implementation of the SPS Agreement.  
Nonetheless knowledge gained from the national WT O workshops on TBT and SPS gave guidance as 
to the way forward.  G/SPS/GEN/664 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Question 9  
  How does your country identify i t’s technical assistance needs? 
 
10. The different agencies identify core causes of th e lapses in the execution of their functions.  
These are the areas where technical assistance/ Technical cooperation programmes (TCP) are 
requested. 
Question 10
 
 
 What has been your country’s experience in both the request and the supply of SPS-
related technical assistance?  
11. A request has been made to the FAO to strengt hen the technical capacities of the Agricultural 
Pest Management Unit.  This is yet to be r ealized. Regional Locust Control programmes and the 
World Banks Africa Emergency Locust project make  interventions to facilitate SPS- related issues, 
but not as yet to an elaborate dimension. 
Question 11
 
  How can the technical assistance supply a nd demand be most effectively measured, 
priority areas identified and the duplication of donor efforts avoided? 
 12. Technical assistance supply and demand can most  effectively be measured through constant 
monitoring, supervision and appraisal in a coordi nated national programme.  This approach will 
identify gaps and achievements, pinpoint priority  areas and detect overlaps or duplication of donor 
efforts in existence at all institutions. 
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