WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/882 
3 October 2008 
 
 (08-4701) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
ACTIONS AIMED AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO AGREEMENT 
ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Information Presented by the Inter-American Institute
 
for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA ) 
 
  The following communication, received on 1 October 2008, is being circulated at the request of the IICA
. 
 
_______________ 
 
 1. The observer organizations of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) 
of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are invited to submit reports on the activities they have carried out to promote understanding and implemen tation of the SPS Agreement.  IICA wishes to 
present some of the actions and activities that it cons iders relevant to the work of this Committee. 
I. SUPPORT FOR THE PARTICIPATION OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE AMERICAS 
IN THE SPS COMMITTEE OF THE WTO 
2. Through the SPS Initiative for the Americas, IIC A provides support for the development of 
capabilities needed to participate effectively in the SPS Committee of the WTO.  The countries 
concerned have received support un der the Initiative, launched in October 2002, for six consecutive 
years now and have taken part in 19  meetings of the WTO SPS Committee. 
3. For this meeting, 15 of the 28 beneficiary countri es (54 per cent) are participating.  This level 
of participation is noteworthy, considering that th e beneficiary country must cover 50 per cent of the 
cost of its participation and that some c ountries are represented by more than one person. 
4. In all, the Initiative has facilitated the par ticipation of 230 capital-based experts from 
32 countries since October 2002.  This has made it possible to support the WTO in a number of 
training events, and has contributed to coopera tion between countries through the transfer of 
successful experiences.  Most importantly, it has he lped create a new, or strengthen the existing, 
institutional framework in the countries.  Some ex amples of such support are:  In Honduras, IICA 
contributes to the activities of the National SPS Committee by serving as its Technical Secretariat. 
5. In Ecuador, IICA has provided support for the Informal SPS Committee, coordinated by the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade,  in monitoring technical topics addressed by the 
WTO SPS Committee and in effectively channelling trad e concerns regarding Ecuador's exports.  The 
Ministry has developed rules of procedure for the operation of the Informal SPS Committee, and has decided to include three officials in the Genera l World Trade Directorate to actively follow up on 
matters relating to the TBT and SPS Agreements.  Additionally, a technical cooperation agreement 
has been signed with the National Council for th e Reactivation of Competitiveness and Production 
(which serves as the Office of the President's technical secretariat for production), calling for IICA to G/SPS/GEN/882 
Page 2  
 
  provide support in structuring and implementing the new Integrated Food Quality, Health and Safety 
System of Ecuador.  The system involves the establis hment an international relations unit, with its 
own budget and two full-time staff to fulfil the assi gnment set forth, which is to address matters and 
commitments relating to food quality, health and safety with international organizations (WTO, 
RPPOs, FAO, international agre ements) and bilateral and multilate ral issues with other countries. 
6. In Paraguay, IICA serves as the Technical Secretariat of the National SPS Committee, 
supporting coordination of the nati onal position for the formal mee tings of the WTO SPS Committee, 
supporting coordination of the nati onal position in the area of SPS, and helping to implement the 
Paraguayan portal on food safety and SPS. 
7. For further information, contact:  ricardo.molins@iica.int
 (Ricardo Molins), 
erick.bolanos@iica.int  (Eric Bolaños), mariela.madrigal@iica.int  (Mariela Madrigal). 
II. IICA-STDF PROJECT 
8. As a complement to the development of in stitutional capabilities in the countries of the 
Americas, IICA is currently implementing the IICA-STDF-108 project.  This project promotes the development of national SPS agendas which, in tu rn, constitute portfolios of projects or specific 
actions for cooperation that cooperation agencies or donor countries can conduct. 
9. For further information, contact:  ricardo.molins@iica.int
 (Ricardo Molins), 
erick.bolanos@iica.int  (Eric Bolaños), mariela.madrigal@iica.int  (Mariela Madrigal). 
III. TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR THE THREE SISTER ORGANIZATIONS AND 
THE WTO SPS AGREEMENT 
10. As part of the SPS training programme devel oped by IICA, the first introductory training 
course on the OIE standard-setting process was held join tly with the OIE.  Thanks to the collaboration 
and direct involvement of OIE officials, the course was conducted out of IICA headquarters in 
Costa Rica via videoconference or webcast, covering the Southern, Andean, Central and Caribbean Regions. 
11. The course focused on existing standards, the de velopment of standards, and the institutional 
mechanisms needed for effective pa rticipation in the standard-setting process of the OIE.  The course 
was taught through IICA's Distance Training Center. 
12. The training and comprehension module on the International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC) standard-setting pr ocess will be offered at the end of this year.  For further 
information, contact:  ricardo.molins@iica.int
 (Ricardo Molins), ericka.calderon@iica.int  
(Ericka Calderón). 
13. IICA Bolivia participates in the meetings of  the National Codex Alimentarius Committee, 
which analyses and approves the work of the Technical  Subcommittees.  It also studies the directives 
issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  IICA Bolivia also participates in the Technical 
Subcommittee on Food Imports  and Exports.  For further informat ion, contact:  marco.jordan@iica.int  
(Marco Jordan). 
14. In Honduras, IICA has helped draw up guidelines for the preparation of the national Codex 
Alimentarius agendas.  A workshop was held to draw up the national Codex Alimentarius agenda.  
For further information, contact:  lourdes.medina@iica.int  (Lourdes Medina).  G/SPS/GEN/882 
 Page 3 
 
 
  15. In Ecuador, IICA has conducted a number of ac tivities with the National Codex Alimentarius 
Committee, including the development of a computerized system for managing information;  efforts to encourage greater participation on the part of th e private sector;  improvements in the institutional 
image of the National Codex Committee through the de velopment of a web page and the institutional 
logo;  and support for the operation of the Na tional Codex Committee through a SWOT workshop 
involving an international consultant with broad e xperience in the field.  For further information, 
contact:  paola.ramon@iica.int
 (Paola Ramon). 
IV. SPECIFIC ACTIONS BY COUNTRY OR REGION 
16. In the Andean Region, IICA has supported national workshops on live bird marketing, 
conducted in collaboration with the United States De partment of Agriculture (USDA) and covering 
regulatory aspects and the development of instituti onal capabilities.  The workshops were held in 
Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.  For furthe r information, contact:  jflorespo@yahoo.com  
(Jaime Flores). 
17. In the Caribbean Region, IICA, together with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
of the United States Department of Agriculture  (USDA/APHIS) is implementing the Caribbean 
Veterinary Epidemiologist/Paraepidemiologist Projec t in ten countries (11 islands) of the Caribbean 
Region.  The project is designed to strengthen ep idemiological surveillance capabilities for animal 
diseases in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica,  Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, St. Kitts 
and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Gr enadines.  For further information, contact:  
carol.thomas@iica.int  (Carol Thomas). 
18. In Honduras, IICA has provided technical suppor t for the Swine and Aquaculture-Fisheries 
Health and Safety Commissions.  Support has also been given to prepare rules for the production, 
importation and marketing of potato seed.  For further information, contact:  lourdes.medina@iica.int  
(Lourdes Medina). 
19. In Ecuador, existing sanitary and phytosanitary  information systems (hardware and software) 
are currently being evaluated with a view to drawi ng up a technical proposal for their integration into 
a single system, so as to improve mechanisms  for coordination and communication between 
institutions in the official sector and with user s of the services they offer at the national and 
international levels.  Other efforts are under way to address the technical and legal requirements for 
structuring an efficient control and survei llance system for products in the market. 
20. Also in Ecuador, with a view to developing technical capabilities that will enable the country 
to access more international markets, the Corporation for Export and Investment Promotion 
(CORPEI), APHIS, IICA and the Ecuadorian Agri cultural Health Service (SESA) have held a 
workshop, involving both theory and practice, on fruit fly free or low prevalence areas and their importance for the production and export of fruits a nd vegetables.  For further information, contact:  
paola.ramon@iica.int
 (Paola Ramon). 
21. In Costa Rica and Uruguay, IICA have begun the delivery and distribution of training 
materials on food safety for primary school children, donated to IICA by USDA/FSIS.  For further 
information, contact:  ricardo.molins@iica.int  (Ricardo Molins). 
V. SUPPORT FOR THE DISSEMINA TION OF INFORMATION 
22. IICA produces several bulletins and has communi cation systems that encourage the exchange 
of information relating to SPS and the work of the WTO, the international reference organizations and 
regional organizations. G/SPS/GEN/882 
Page 4  
 
  23. The electronic bulletin CODEX-MSF Foro de Opinión  (Opinion Forum) specializes in 
developments within the Codex Alimentarius  and the WTO SPS Committee.  This bulletin 
disseminates and analyses standards and events that have taken place, in order to increase communication on and the study of these topics.  It is distributed mostly to the countries of South America but is also available to all IICA member countries at www.iica.org.ar
.  For further 
information, contact:  mlfonalleras@iica.org.ar  (Lourdes Fonalleras). 
24. The AGRIHEALTH information system dissem inates information relating to agricultural 
health and food safety, and its coverage includ es the standards and actions of the WTO and the 
international reference organizations.  This  information system (www.infoagro.net/salud  in Spanish 
and www.agrihealth.ws  in English) is currently launchi ng an observatory on emerging issues and 
emergencies in the areas of animal health, plant he alth and food safety.  For further information, 
contact:  ericka.calderon@iica.int  (Ericka Calderón). 
25. In Paraguay, an electronic bulletin distributed periodically reports on the activities of the 
National SPS Committee, on new SPS developments, on studies requested by the SPS Secretariat, and notifications, to produce a country report through the Foreign Ministry.  For further information, 
contact:  carlos.franco@iica.int
 (Carlos Franco). 
Inter-American Institute for C ooperation on Agriculture (IICA) 
Agricultural Health and Food Safety 
http://www.infoagro.net/salud  
http://www.iica.int  
 
__________