WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1099 
24 June 2011 
 (11-3135) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
 
Communication from Canada 
  
 The following communication, received on 24 June 2011, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Canada. 
 
_______________  
  
1. Canada would like to provide an update to Me mbers regarding the provision of technical 
assistance from January to December 2009.
1   Technical assistance has been provided to developing 
countries in accordance with Article 9 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures .  The assistance was primarily aimed at facilitating the development 
and implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures based on sound science.  The attached 
table reflects Canadian technical assistance in 2009.  While every effort has been made to ensure that 
information contained in the table presents all re levant technical assistance projects, it may not 
constitute a complete compilation of technical as sistance delivered given the number of Canadian 
government departments and agencies and the variety of delivery programs involved. 
2. The monetary value of the technical assistance committed amounted to approximately CDN 
$17 million between January and December 2009.  It should be noted that, in many cases, the 
organizations providing the assistance also made additional in-kind contributions to projects. 
3. Assistance was provided to more than 40 Member , Observer and other countries, in Central 
America, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia, and Africa.  Assistance was directed to both individual countries and groups of countries or regional organizations. 
4. Canada’s assistance addressed three of the f our broad categories listed in G/SPS/GEN/206:  
information; training; and "soft" infrastructur e development (but not "hard" infrastructure 
development).  Assistance from Canada covered mo st of the "typical areas of competence" listed 
under the headings of food safety, animal hea lth and plant protection, in the Annex of 
G/SPS/GEN/206. 
5. In all, 11 projects are listed for the period January to December 2009.  Some of the projects 
listed are multi-year projects; however, projects are only reported once and generally in the year in 
which the project is initiated unless subse quent funded project extensions occur. 
                                                      
1 One table is attached identifying technical assistance committed to developing countries in 2009. 
Canada has provided technical assistance updates for 2008 (G/SPS/GEN/1027), 2007 (G/SPS/GEN/1008), 2005-2006 (G/SPS/GEN/765), 2000-2004 (G/SPS/GEN/728), and for years prior 
to 2000 (G/SPS/GEN/143/Rev.1/Add.1). G/SPS/GEN/1099 
Page 2  
 
  Technical Assistance Provided by Canada to Members, Observers and Other Countries: 
January to December 2009 
 
 
Sector Description of Particular 
Programme Form of 
Assistance Provided to Contact 
Animal 
Health Diagnostic and epidemiology 
methodology technical transfer to governments in South America to 
enhance foot-and-mouth disease 
(FMD) preparedness and response in the region over a period of two years.  
(2008-2010) Additional contribution. 
(2009) Training  Bolivia, 
Plurinational State of, 
Columbia, 
Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela Dorothy.Geale@inspection.gc.ca 
Animal 
Health Training for two Brazilian 
veterinarians in traceability from 
farm to slaughter in bovine animal 
herds. (2009) Training Brazil rolf.schoenert@inspection.gc.ca 
Animal 
Health Rural Capacity Building Program 
(RCBP) Project co-financed by 
CIDA and the World Bank (WB).  
Activities related to SPS, as a sub-component of the "Agricultural 
Marketing and SPS component", are 
directed to animal health and include 
construction and equipping of two 
quarantine stations (WB) and long-
term training of veterinarians in 
epidemiology and short term training 
in meat inspection and lab diagnostics (CIDA). (2007-2012) Capacity 
Building Ethiopia elise.rafuse@acdi-cida.gc.ca 
Animal 
Health Month-long Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy (BSE) prevention 
and response training provided to two Department of Agriculture 
scientists from the Philippines.  
(April 2009) Training  Philippines rolf.schoenert@inspection.gc.ca 
Food 
Safety Food Contaminants Surveillance 
Workshop provided to 11 Brazilian 
delegates with a purpose to explain 
Canada's food safety system, including:  legislation, contaminant 
surveillance programs, program 
delivery, food recalls, response protocols, the enforcement and 
investigative program, and the 
laboratory operations in support of 
surveillance. (December 2009) Training  Brazil rolf.schoenert@inspection.gc.ca 
Plant 
Health & Food 
Safety Assistance improving bean crop 
production through the development and dissemination of bean varieties 
resistant to drought, disease and 
pests, in order to increase nutrition and food security of rural 
populations in 28 African countries. 
Capacity building in integrated pest and disease management strategies, Capacity 
Building Pan-Africa linh.trinh@acdi-cida.gc.ca  G/SPS/GEN/1099 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Sector Description of Particular 
Programme Form of 
Assistance Provided to Contact 
laboratory training and technical 
backstopping to strengthen capacity and developmental activities 
including seed quality control, safe 
packaging and development of 
standards. Implementation of a 
national surveillance programme for bean pests and diseases for early 
detection and management.  
Development of disease resistant snap bean varieties to facilitate SPS 
compliance for snap bean exporters 
in regional and international markets.  Assessment and management of 
aflotoxins for safe storage.  Policy 
advocacy working with COMESA to promote regional trade in beans 
while addressing any SPS constraints 
that may constitute a hindrance to trade. (2009-2013) 
Plant 
Health 
& Food Safety Assisting regional organizations to 
disseminate improved crop varieties 
(e.g. quality protein maize) to farmers and improve marketing of 
agriculture in national and 
international spheres.  This five-year 
project forms part of Phase III of the 
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa aimed at stimulating 
agricultural development, increasing 
economic growth, improving health and food security, food safety, and 
enhancing the quality of the 
environment. (2009-2014) Capacity 
Building East Africa marie.cl aude@acdi-cida.gc.ca 
Plant 
Health 
& Food 
Safety The establishment of a network of 
agricultural research experts who 
will support African countries to 
develop and implement their national agriculture strategies.  This five-year 
project forms part of Phase III of the 
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa aimed at stimulating 
agricultural development, increasing 
economic growth, improving health and food security, food safety, and 
enhancing the quality of the 
environment. (2009-2014) Capacity 
Building Pan-Africa marie.claude@acdi-cida.gc.ca 
Plant 
Health 
& Food Safety Agricultural development.  Multi-
year project to assist 9,000 producers 
increase production and marketing of onions, garlic, potatoes, beans, 
tomatoes, cabbages, limes, 
watermelons, mangoes, papayas, and strawberries in the Niayes region of 
Senegal, while simultaneously 
protecting the natural resources of Training  Senegal isabelle.laroche@acdi-cida.gc.ca G/SPS/GEN/1099 
Page 4  
 
  Sector Description of Particular 
Programme Form of 
Assistance Provided to Contact 
the region.  Emphasis is placed on 
the safe handling of chemicals and pesticides, as well as the adoption of 
sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
with respect to cultivation and 
production. (2009-2015) 
Plant 
Health & Food 
Safety Food safety system study tour under 
CIDA-funded Food and Agriculture Products Quality project (2006-
2011).  Ten days of training was 
provided to delegates from the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 
Development in an effort to impart plant health and food safety 
knowledge and expe rtise. (October 
2009) Training  Viet Nam rolf.schoenert@inspection.gc.ca 
Animal 
Health, 
Plant 
Health & Food 
Safety Global initiative to review, improve 
and strengthen the use of the 
Integrated Food Security Phase 
Classification (IPC) for food crisis management purposes. (2009-2012) Funding Global CIDA 
 
 
__________