WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/765 
28 February 2007 
 (07-0862) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
PROVIDED BY CANADA 
 
Communication from Canada
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 23 Fe bruary 2007, is being circulated at the 
request of the Delegation of Canada.  
_______________  
 
 1. Canada would like to provide an update to its  submission made at the October 2006 meeting 
with regard to technical assistance (G/SPS/GEN/728) .  Canada submits the following compilations of 
technical assistance provided to developing count ries between January 2005 and December 2006, in 
accordance with Article 9 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) 
Measures  (see attached table
1).  The assistance was primarily aimed at facilitating countries’ 
adjustment to, and compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary measures in their export markets and 
to improve their capacity in developing and implementing their SPS measures based on sound 
science.  The attached table may not constitute a complete compilation of all relevant technical 
assistance delivered given the number of Canadian  government departments and agencies and the 
variety of delivery programs involved. 
2. The monetary value of the technical assist ance committed to amounted to over CDN $7.5 
million between January 2005 and December 2006.  It should be noted that, in many cases, the 
organizations providing the assistance also made additional in-kind contributions to projects. 
3. Assistance was given to 54 Me mber, Observer and other countri es, in Central America, the 
Caribbean, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. 
Assistance was directed to both individual countries and groups of countries or regional organizations 
such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) an d the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
group. 
4. In addition, in March 2005, Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the WTO 
over a contribution of CDN $400,000 to the Standa rds and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to 
assist developing countries in improving their expe rtise and capacity to analyze and implement 
international SPS standards. 
5. Canada's assistance addressed three of the four broad categories listed in G/SPS/GEN/2062: 
information; training; and "soft" infrastructur e development (but not "hard" infrastructure 
development). Assistance from Canada covered most of the "typical areas of competence” listed 
                                                      
1 Two tables are attached identifying technical a ssistance committed to developing countries on an 
annual basis in 2005 and 2006. 
2 Technical Assistance Typology (18 October 2000). G/SPS/GEN/765 
Page 2  
 
  under the headings of food safety, animal hea lth and plant protection, in the Annex of 
G/SPS/GEN/206. 
6. In all, 15 projects are listed for the period Ja nuary to December 2005 and ten for the period 
January to December 2006 with the majority of proj ects related to food safety. Some of the projects 
listed are multi-year projects but are only listed for the year in which the project was initiated.  
   G/SPS/GEN/765
 Page 3 
Technical Assistance Provided by Canada to Members, Observers and Other Countries: 
January 2005- December 2005 
  
Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
Animal 
Health  Multi-year (2005 - 2009) assistance to 
provide technical expertise on 
biosafety/biocontainment issues. 
(June and November 2005 field missions 
subsequent to initial expertise supplied in 
2003) Technical expertise Kenya schoenertr@inspection.gc.ca 
Plant Health International Plant Protection Convention 
(IPPC) workshop with in kind support from 
Canada held to address the practical application of International Standard for 
Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 ( Guidelines 
for regulating wood packaging material in 
international trade ), particularly for 
developing and least-developed countries and to facilitate national ability to implement this standard.  
(28 February – 4 March 2005) Training  Asian developing countries, 
unspecified wolffg@inspection.gc.ca
 
Plant Health Canadian contribution to IPPC workshop 
aimed to develop capacity and strengthen 
international harmonization in the conduct of 
pest risk analysis (P RA).  The workshop 
resulted in strengthened international partnerships, closer harmonization with international standards for PRA and improved understanding of PRA world wide.   
(May 2005 – January 2006)  Training  Global countries, unspecified creel@inspection.gc.ca
  
  G/SPS/GEN/765 
Page 4 Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
Plant Health Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
– Research, Development and Extension of 
Agricultural Biotechnology (RDEAB) Workshop in Santiago, Chile on technical cooperation, capacity building in risk management and emerging issues in 
agricultural biotechnology to help build 
capacity in APEC economies for agricultural biotechnology.  Two-day communications workshop on agricultural biotechnology followed by a five-day plenary session.  
Workshop discussed strategic 
communications planning, public engagement and consultation, media relations, web-based 
initiatives and, risk communications.  
(November 2005) Training  APEC: Brunei Darussalam; 
Chile; People's Republic of 
China; Hong Kong-China, Indonesia; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; 
Russia; Singapore; Chinese 
Taipei; Thailand; Vietnam bbilmer@inspection.gc.ca
 or 
william_yan@hc-sc.gc.ca  
Food Safety Workshop on  Codex Alimentarius 
Commission to enhance the understanding 
and awareness in Latin American and Caribbean countries of Codex and the 
importance of effective participation in 
international food standard setting activities.  
Workshop held in San Jose, Costa Rica.  
(December 2005) Training  Latin American and Caribbean 
countries bgagnon@inspection.gc.ca
 
Food Safety Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points 
(HACCP) Food Safety Enhancement Program 
(FSEP) Audit training to public sector representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MAG), Government of Costa Rica.   
(23 April – 7 May 2005) Training  Costa Rica schoenertr@inspection.gc.ca
  
   G/SPS/GEN/765
 Page 5Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
Food Safety Five week technical advisory on all aspects of 
mushroom processing.  
(September/October 2005) Training  Serbia and Montenegro ashton_hughes@hc-sc.gc.ca  
Food Safety Advanced Regional Workshop in Pretoria, 
South Africa (Africa Bio, International Life 
Sciences Institute [ILSI] organized under the Program for Biosafety Systems [PBS] coordinated by the International Food Policy Research Institute [IFPRI]) on genetically 
modified food safety assessment using case 
studies.  
(26-28 October 2005) Training  Angola, Botswana, Ghana, 
Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, 
Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, 
Zambia, Zimbabwe william_yan@hc-sc.gc.ca
 
Food Safety Workshop on the development and 
implementation of regulatory tools (including 
labelling) in the area of food allergens.  
(June 2005) Training  South Africa samuel_godefroy@hc-sc.gc.ca  
Food Safety Food Safety training modules.  Development 
of training modules and customized 
workshops.   
(14 February 2005 – 31 March 2006) Training  Ghana, Senegal delicradovicg@agr.gc.ca 
 
Food Safety Agriculture-based project focused on public 
health (food safety), farm incomes (product 
value) and trade development (sanitary/phytosanitary export requirements 
and harmonization of quality and grades standards). Pilot and process testing activities 
relate to both improving practices in 
production and processing, and in product 
quality control and certification.   
(1 April 2005 – 1 September 2010) Training  Vietnam  jeanne_corriveau@acdi-
cida.gc.ca 
  
  G/SPS/GEN/765 
Page 6 Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
Animal 
Health, Plant 
Health, Food 
Safety One week advisory session to the 
Government of Guatemala on the creation of 
a single window agency for animal health, plant health and food safety and one week 
follow up advisory six months later.   
(16-20 August 2005 and 28 February – 
3 March 2006) Training  Guatemala schoenertr@inspection.gc.ca
 
Animal 
Health, Plant Health, Food 
Safety Establishment of World Trade Organization 
(WTO)/ Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) 
Notification Authority and Enquiry Point in 
Ukraine.  
(March 2005 and Feb/March 2006) Training  Ukraine aspencer@scc.ca 
 
Animal 
Health, Plant 
Health, Food 
Safety Facilitating Small Producer Access to High-
Value Markets. 
Project to prepare eight case studies aimed to define a set of guiding principles to facilitate the participation of small-scale producers in 
supply chains to high-value markets for 
agricultural and food products, including exports to industrialized countries.  SPS measures towards export certification may, among other issues, affect the market access 
of developing country producers. 
(November 2005 - November 2007) Research Information Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, 
Zimbabwe eayuk@idrc.org.sn 
Animal 
Health, Plant Health, Food 
Safety Financial Contribution of CDN $400,000 to 
the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF). 
(October 2005 - 2008)  Funding  Global laura_griggs@acdi-cida.gc.ca
 
  
   G/SPS/GEN/765
 Page 7 
 
Technical Assistance Provided by Canada to Members, Observers and Other Countries: 
January 2006- December 2006 
 
Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
Animal 
Health Presentation at the Central Asia Disease 
Surveillance Workshop in Bishkek to provide 
guidance in support of efforts in regional disease surveillance for public and animal 
health authorities.  
(27-29 November 2006) Training  Kyrgyz Republic vallieresa@inspection.gc.ca
 
Plant Health Plant Health Risk Analysis Training Course 
Development and in kind support on behalf of 
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
of a training course in plant health risk analysis for the Government of India.  Training course based on pertinent International Plant Protection Convention 
(IPPC) standards and sufficiently generic so 
that it could be delivered anywhere with country specific case studies or modules inserted for a specific audience.  The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) funded development of training 
materials for IPPC pest risk analysis and 
delivery of a one week training course in 
India.  
(August 2006 with delivery of course in 
2007) Training  India creel@inspection.gc.ca
 
Plant Health Workshops (2) to develop technical risk 
assessment criteria and risk management 
measures for the safe conduct of experimental field trials and unconfined environmental Training  Burkina Faso frys@inspection.gc.ca
  
  G/SPS/GEN/765 
Page 8 Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
release of transgenic plants.   
(November 2006 and February 2007) 
Plant Health Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 
– Research, Development and Extension of 
Agricultural Biotechnology (RDEAB) 
workshop on Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building, Risk Assessment/Management and Emerging Issues in Agricultural Biotechnology to help build capacity in APEC economies for 
agricultural biotechnology.  Following a five 
day plenary session, a two day capacity building workshop was held in Manila, Philippines on genetic resources and 
intellectual property rights.  
(November 2006) Training  APEC: Brunei Darussalam; 
Chile; People's Republic of 
China; Hong Kong-China; 
Indonesia; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; Papua New  
Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese 
Taipei; Thailand; Vietnam will_yan@hc-sc.gc.ca or 
bbilmer@inspection.gc.ca
 
Food Safety Two week training in internationally accepted 
laboratory diagnostics in veterinary drug residues for two laboratory technicians from 
the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate of the Government of 
Vietnam.  
(28 October – 11 November 2006) Training  Vietnam schoenertr@inspection.gc.ca 
Food Safety Workshop in Argentina on genetically 
modified food safety  assessment using case 
studies.  
(November 2006) Training  Argentina, Brazil, Chile william_yan@hc-sc.gc.ca 
 
Food Safety Train-the-traine rs workshop on genetically 
modified food safety assessment using a 
standardized training package in Ottawa with 
FAO.  Training  Argentina, Mexico, 
Philippines, Russia, South 
Africa, Thailand william_yan@hc-sc.gc.ca   
   G/SPS/GEN/765
 Page 9Sector Description of Particular Programme : Form of Assistance: Provided to: Contact: 
(October 2006) 
Plant Health, 
Food Safety Grain Quality and Rural Agricultural Credit 
Systems.   
Assistance to develop technical specifications 
for registration of 625 grain elevators and 
warehouses compliant with phytosanitary measures (e.g. fumigation) and establish 
certification standards (food safety included) 
aimed primarily at wheat.  
(2006 – 2009)  Training  Ukraine rebecca_joshua@acdi-
cida.gc.ca  
Animal 
Health, Plant 
Health, Food 
Safety Project to respond to the trade-related 
technical assistance need s in the specific area 
of sanitary and phytosanitary measures as identified by participating countries and organizations in Central America and the 
Caribbean. 
(October 2006 – 31 December 2009) Training Costa Rica, Guatemala and the 
CARICOM countries:  
Antigua & Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; Montserrat; St. Kitts 
& Nevis; Saint Lucia; St. 
Vincent & the Grenadines; 
Suriname; Trinidad & Tobago  dean_moser@acdi-cida.gc.ca 
Animal 
Health, Plant 
Health, Food 
Safety Fostering More Dynamic Agrifood Sectors. 
The objective of this project is to reinforce 
the capacity of the private sector and professional associations in three sectors 
(milk, bananas, karité). Project activities 
towards the production, transformation, and distribution of these products will require that sanitary and phytosanitary measures be addressed.   
(2006 - 2010) Training Burkina Faso norma_gonzalez@acdi-
cida.gc.ca 
 
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