WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
28 February 2012 
 (12-1144) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANC E ACTIVITIES IN 2012:  
GENERAL INFORMATION, SELECTION PROCESS AND APPLICATION FORM 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
Revision 
 
 
1. The Secretariat of the WTO plans to organi ze a number of specific technical assistance 
activities on the Agreement on the Application of  Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS 
Agreement) in 2012.  These activities include:  E-L earning courses, national SPS seminars, a thematic 
SPS workshop in Geneva, regional SPS wo rkshops and an advanced SPS course.2  These activities 
will primarily focus on the provisions of the SPS Ag reement, implementation matters and the latest 
discussions taking place in the SPS Committee.3  The overall objective of the SPS technical assistance 
activities is to enhance the knowledge and expertis e of government officials from WTO developing 
country Members and Observers, so they can better understand and implem ent the SPS Agreement, 
benefit from its provisions, and strengthen their capac ity to engage in the work of the SPS Committee 
(for additional information on technical assistance activities related to the SPS Agreement, please 
consult the WTO website on http://www.wto.org/sps/ta ). 
2. This document provides detailed information about each SPS-specific WTO technical 
assistance activity planned for 2012, including info rmation on dates, venues, eligibility and selection 
criteria of participants, instructions for submissi on of applications, deadlines and pre-requisites when 
required.  
3. This document is structured according to th e different types of SPS-specific technical 
assistance activities provided by the WTO: 
 E-Learning Courses on the SPS Agreement 
 National SPS Seminars 
 Thematic SPS Workshop 
 Regional SPS Workshops 
 Advanced SPS Course and Follow-up Session 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 In addition to these SPS-specific technical assi stance activities, the WTO offers training courses 
where the SPS Agreement is taught, such as Introduction Courses on the WTO to Least-developed Countries 
(LDCs), Short Trade Policy Courses, and Advanced Trade Policy Courses.   
3 The SPS Committee is scheduled to meet three time s in 2012:  27-29 March;   10-11 July;  and 17-
18 October.  Informal meetings of the SPS Committee and other SPS-related workshops might be scheduled 
during the weeks when the SPS Committee meetings take place.  These dates are subject to change. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 2  
 
  4. A chronological table with the dates and st eps for application for all the SPS-specific 
technical assistance activities in 2012 can be found in Annex I. 
5. The structure, content, target audience, pre -requisites, exercises and materials of these SPS-
specific activities will follow the WTO progressive learning strategy (PLS).4  Therefore, each activity 
is identified according to a scale ranging from "Level  1" (the least advanced, introductory activities) 
to "Level 3" (the most advanced, in-depth training activities).  This measurement will, inter alia, 
assist in making candidates aware of the expected leve l of the activity before they apply, and facilitate 
the Secretariat's assessment of whether a candidate's profile and experience match the level of the activity when carrying out the selection process.  This will ultimately help ensure that the participants 
in a particular activity are able to most effectiv ely follow and contribute to the discussions, and that 
they have an harmonized level of understanding of the SPS Agreemen t.  Further information on the 
WTO progressive learning strategy and a table with the level of the SPS-specific technical assistance 
activities is in Annex II.  
I. E-LEARNING COURSES ON THE SPS AGREEMENT 
Level of this activity:  1 
   3  
6. The WTO offers on-line Internet courses on the SPS Agreement, so as to enable government 
officials from around the world to learn, through an  interactive tool, about the basic provisions and 
principles of the SPS Agreement, the work of the SPS Committee and the SPS disputes brought to the 
WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism.  During the entir e course, participants receive personal tutoring 
from an assigned staff member of the WTO Secretariat who is responsible for clarifying and responding to any SPS-related ques tion.  While an introduction to the SPS Agreement is included in 
the E-Learning course "Introduction to the WTO", th is Internet course on the SPS Agreement is the 
most introductory-level training available specifically on the SPS Agreement. 
7. The course is available in all three WTO offici al languages (English, French and Spanish) and 
is divided into eight modules which must be comp leted within three months.  At the end of each 
module, participants are required to take a short on- line test.  The completion of these tests is required 
for the successful completion of the course. 
8. Successful completion of the E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement is a pre-requisite for 
participation in a number of other SPS technical as sistance activities, such as the Regional Workshops 
and the Advanced SPS Course.  However, successful completion of the E-Learning Course on the 
SPS Agreement does not guarantee  selection for other SPS-related training events.  Government 
officials who have already successfully complete d the E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement, in 
any of the available languages, are not required to undertake it again.   
9. The WTO will offer E-learning Courses on the SPS Agreement throughout the year. 
10. While the WTO E-Learning material is freely available on the WTO E-Learning website, 
participants have to register and submit a nominat ion form in order to participate in a monitored 
course, access the module exams and obtain a WTO certificate. 
11. Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to register for the E-
Learning Course on the SPS Agreement must access the WTO E-Learning website 
                                                      
4 The primary aim of the PLS is to promote higher levels of learning and to encourage the development 
of participants’ autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long-lasting human and institutional 
capacity of beneficiary countries to participate most e ffectively in the rules-based multilateral training system.  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (http://etraining.wto.org ).  In order to register for a course, two forms are to be filled-in and 
submitted: 
(a) On-line Registration Form:   available on http://etraining.wto.org  at "Online 
Courses".  This registration form needs to be completed on-line, and the system will 
generate a registration number that will be used in the "nomination form"; 
(b) Nomination Form:  the candidate should be c onfirmed by the responsible 
government authorities.  The nomination form is also available on http://etraining.wto.org  at "Online Courses".  The completed nomination form must 
be sent either by email (scanned) to elearning.registration@wto.org  or by fax to +41 
22 739 5191. 
12. Further information and instructions about the registration process for the E-Learning Course 
on the SPS Agreement can be  found on the website http://etraining.wto.org . 
II. NATIONAL SPS SEMINARS 
Level of this activity:  1    3 
13. WTO developing country Members and Observers  are entitled to request national seminars 
with a view to address specific training needs on th e SPS Agreement and its implementation.  In this 
regard, the programmes for national seminars ar e elaborated by the beneficiary country in 
consultation with the WTO Secretariat.  It is possible to address both the SPS and TBT Agreements, 
or the SPS Agreement and the Agreement on Agriculture, in a single national seminar. 
14. National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) or higher (in-depth, advance 
training) level, depending on the training needs iden tified by the requesting Member, and the level of 
knowledge and experience of the participants.  The Secretariat will aim to tailor the structure and 
content of these seminars according to each specif ic request and through consultations with the 
beneficiary Member during the preparation phase of the seminar. 
15. To request a national seminar on the SPS Agreement, Members and Observers must submit a 
formal request according to the document TRTA Na tional Request Form (JOB/TC/2), which is found 
in Attachment II. 
16. The request must be submitted through the Member's or Observer's contact point to the WTO 
(e.g. mission in Geneva) and be addressed, with a cove r letter, to the Director of the WTO Institute for 
Training and Technical Co-operation (ITTC) by fax: +41 22 739 57 64. 
17. Due to the increased number of requests received for national SPS seminars in recent years, 
the Secretariat encourages Members and Observers  to submit any request for national SPS seminars 
as early as possible to ensure proper coor dination and preparation for these activities.5 
                                                      
5 While every effort will be made to accommoda te the requests of Members and Observers, the 
Secretariat cannot guarantee that it w ill have the necessary resources to pr ovide all requested national seminars 
during the year requested. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 4  
 
  III. THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP  
Level of this activity:  1 
   3  
18. The Secretariat will organize a special workshop on the Transparency Provisions of the SPS 
Agreement to be held in Geneva, Switzerla nd.  The workshop will take place on Monday, 
15 October 2012.  The SPS informal and regular meetings will be held on 16-18 October 2012.  
19. The objective of the workshop is to bring together officials from WTO Members' SPS enquiry 
points and national notification authorities for an in-depth technical session focusing on the WTO 
online tools which Members can use to fulfil the transparency obligations of the SPS Agreement and 
benefit from a more transparent system: 
(a) Delegates to the SPS Committee will have the opportunity to participate in technical 
sessions aimed at providing "hands on"  guidance on how to submit online 
notifications using the SPS Notification Submission System (SPS-NSS). 
(b) Delegates will receive detailed "hands- on" training on how to use the SPS 
Information Management System (SPS-IMS)6 to search for information and 
documents, prepare pre-defined documents, and prepare custom reports related to 
information available in SPS notifications and other documents. 
(c) Delegates will have the opportunity to sh are their experiences on the use of the WTO 
electronic tools, including to meet th e transparency obligations of the SPS 
Agreement. 
(d) Representatives of the Codex, IPPC and OIE will be invited to provide information 
on their online tools that can be helpful to Members. 
20. The workshop is open to participation by all delegates from WTO Members and Observers 
attending the SPS Committee meeting in October 2012. 
21. The WTO, with the financial assistance of th e Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund 
(DDAGTF), will sponsor the participation of approx imately 50 government officials from developing 
country Members and Observers.  The Secretariat will select participants to be sponsored from 
applications received from capital-based officials hold ing direct responsibilities in the work of either 
the SPS enquiry point or the national notification au thority.  Exceptions will be made for candidates 
from WTO Members that have not yet designate d their SPS enquiry point and/or the national 
notification authority, as well as for WTO Observers, on the basis of evidence th at the candidate has, 
or will have, responsibilities re lated to SPS notifications. 
22. Preference will be given to applications from least-developed countries (LDCs), and from 
developing country Members and Observers that have not been sponsored to participate in a 
transparency workshop on the SPS Agreemen t in the recent past.  No more than one participant from 
each Member/Observer will be selected. 
23. Government officials from WTO Members a nd Observers meeting the above-mentioned 
criteria and wishing to apply for the thematic workshop must complete the application form 
referenced in Attachment I in accordance with the instructions pr ovided in Annex III.  Please access 
                                                      
6 http://spsims.wto.org/ .  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 5 
 
 
  the application form on the following link:  
http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/sps_e/application_e.doc . 
24. An economy-class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if applicable),  daily subsistence 
allowance for the duration of the workshop and the SPS Committee meetings (from 15 to 
19 October 2012) and terminal expe nses will be provided to the select ed participants as of the opening 
day of the activity.  Other administrative arrangeme nts shall be communicated directly to the selected 
participants in advance to the course. 
IV. REGIONAL SPS WORKSHOPS 
Level of this activity:  1    3  
 
A. OVERVIEW  
25. The Secretariat of the WTO organizes regional workshops on the SPS Agreement with the 
purpose of making participants fully aware of th e WTO SPS Agreement, its implementation, and the 
possible implications at the regional and national levels.  These workshops are generally funded by 
the Doha Development Agenda  Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF). 
26. The regional workshops also serve as an opportunity for government officials working with 
SPS matters in different developing countries to est ablish contact with their counterparts in other 
developing countries of the region, facilitating the ex change of information and the sharing of best 
practices related to the implementation of the SPS Agreement. 
27. Representatives from Codex, IPPC and OIE actively participate as resource persons in these 
regional workshops, contributing th eir knowledge and experience in their areas of expertise.  In 
addition, the WTO may invite relevant regional or ganizations, international and regional development 
institutions and organizations, as well as other tec hnical assistance organiza tions and bilateral donors 
involved in SPS matters, to inform the participants of their latest activities. 
B. REGIONAL SPS  WORKSHOPS IN 2012 
28. In accordance with the WTO Biennial Technical  Assistance and Training Plan 2012-2013 
(WT/COMTD/W/180/Rev.1), four regional workshops  on the SPS Agreement will be organized in 
2012: 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-American 
Development Bank)7 
 Follow-up Regional SPS Workshop for English-speaking Africa8 
 Regional SPS Workshop fo r Asia and Pacific 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Easter n Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. 
 
                                                      
7 This activity will be a PLS Level 3. 
8 The 2012 Regional Workshop for English-speaking Africa will be a follow-up session to the Regional 
Workshop which was held in Nairobi, Kenya on 22-25 November 2011.  Preference will be given to the WTO-
funded participants that a ttended the Regional SPS Workshop for Englis h-speaking Africa in 2011, but a limited 
number of new participants may be selected.  This activity will be a PLS Level 3. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 6  
 
  29. Specific information and instructions for ea ch of these four activities can be found in 
Annex IV. 
C. S
ELECTION PROCESS  
30. The WTO Secretariat will carry out a selection process aimed at better utilizing the resources 
available by ensuring that only qualified and suitabl e candidates participate in the regional workshops.  
The Secretariat will consider applications from a ll eligible Members and Observers subject to the 
receipt of the candidacy within the deadline and th at the candidate meets the pre-requisites.  The 
Secretariat will endeavour to ensure an overall balance regarding partic ipants' specializations, 
countries of origin and gender. 
31. The targeted audience for these work shops are government officials: 
(a) holding direct responsibilities in the SPS area, i.e. SPS notification authority or 
enquiry point;  Codex, IPPC or OIE contact points;  officials from a relevant Ministry in charge of coordinating SPS matte rs and international trade;  and 
(b) possessing a proven intermediate level of  understanding of the principles and 
structure of the WTO and the principles and provisions of the SPS Agreement. 
32. Government officials from WTO Members and Ob servers wishing to apply for participation 
in the regional workshops must complete the application form re ferenced in Attachment I in 
accordance with the instructions provided in Annex IV.9  Please access the application form at the 
following link:  http://wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc . 
33. The Secretariat will inform Members' and Obser vers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candidat es from their government before the final selection.  
34. Selected participants will receive from th e WTO an economy-class round-trip air-ticket 
(excursion fare, if applicable), full board services a nd facilities at the hotel where the activity is held 
(bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and ground transport airport-hotel-airport).  The WTO will also provide the confirmed participants with 100 Swiss Francs lu mp sum for their out of pocket expenses.  This 
amount will be provided during the two weeks after th e closure of the activity, via Western Union or 
bank transfer once the participant has returned to his/her home country.  In addition, when stopovers 
are mentioned in the air-tickets issued by the WT O, the participant will receive 300 Swiss Francs per 
stopover.  This/These amount(s) will be provided dur ing the two weeks after the closure of the 
activity only, via Western Union or bank transfer and once the participant has returned to his/her 
home country.  Other administrative arrangements will be communicated directly to the selected 
participants in advance of each activity.  
D. P
RE-REQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION  
35. Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed the WTO  
E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time th ey submit their application.  All participants 
are expected to have completed the E-Learning Course before the start of the workshop.  See Section I 
regarding enrolment in the E-Learning Course. 
                                                      
9 Applicants applying for the Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the 
Inter-American Development Bank) should submit their curriculum vitae along with the application form (See 
Annex IV) . 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 7 
 
 
  36. For the Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-
American Development Bank), only one government official working in the field of animal health 
quarantine and one official working in the field of  plant health quarantine will be selected from each 
eligible country.  
37. For the Follow-up Regional SPS Workshop for English-speaking Africa,  preference will 
be given to WTO-funded participants that attended the 2011 Regional SPS Workshop for English-
speaking Africa (held in Nairobi, Kenya), and only a limited number of new participants may be 
selected. 
V. ADVANCED SPS COURSE AND FOLLOW-UP SESSION 
Level of this activity:  1     3 
A. OVERVIEW  
38. The 2012 Advanced SPS Course will be held from 8 to 26 October 2012  in Geneva, 
Switzerland, in French .  This course is an in-depth and "ha nds-on" training activity conceived to 
encourage the active involvement of participants  in SPS-related matters, ranging from addressing 
national implementation problems to the identifi cation of SPS-related market access difficulties and 
how to develop strategies to overcome these. 
39. The course comprises a series of sessions and practical exercises related to the 
implementation of the SPS Agreement.  The first week of the course includes sessions aimed at deepening participants' understanding of the SPS Agre ement.  In the second week, participants will 
participate in the workshop on tr ansparency, and attend the SPS Committee meetings, with a view to 
learning how the Committee works in practice, so as to become familiar with the rules and procedures 
of the Committee and to participate in the discu ssions taking place there.  In the third week, 
participants will compare their experiences a nd will learn more about how to improve the 
implementation of specific provisions of the SPS Ag reement, including the application of concepts 
and principles such as risk analysis, harmonization,  equivalence, regionalization and transparency.  
Dispute settlement, technical assi stance and cooperation, and special  and differential treatment will 
also be addressed.  A number of external expe rts, including from Codex, IPPC and OIE, will 
participate in parts of the course. 
40. Each participant will be required to elaborate an action plan with the assistance of coaches.  
This plan should address at least one or tw o implementation and/or market access challenges 
encountered in their countries.  The implementati on of these action plans will be monitored through a 
periodic reporting process after the course. 
41. A follow-up session will be organized in June 2013, where participants to the Advanced SPS 
Course will report on the implementation of their action plans. 
B. S
ELECTION PROCESS  
42. The Secretariat will select a maximum of twen ty-five participants for the Advanced SPS 
Course.  The target audience for this course ar e government officials, in particular those: 
(a) holding direct responsibilities in SPS areas, e.g. specialists on food safety, animal 
health, plant protection or officials from a relevant Ministry in charge of coordinating SPS matters and international trade; 
(b) possessing a proven advanced level of understa nding of the provisions and structure 
of the WTO and the principles and provisions of the SPS Agreement;  and G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 8  
 
  (c) fluent in oral and written French. 
43. Government officials from WTO Members and Ob servers wishing to apply for the Advanced 
SPS Course must complete the application form  referenced in Attachment I and follow the 
instructions provided in Annex V.  Please acces s the application form on the following link: 
http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/sps_e/application_e.doc . 
44. The Secretariat will inform Members' and Obser vers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candidat es from their government before the final selection.  
45. Selected participants will receive an economy- class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if 
applicable), daily subsistence allowance for the dur ation of the course and te rminal expenses at the 
applicable WTO rate.  These will be provided to th e participant by the WTO during the activity.  
Other administrative arrangements will be communicat ed directly to the selected participants in 
advance to the course.  
C. PRE-REQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION  
46. There are two pre-requisites for participation in the Advanced SPS Course: 
(a) All candidates are required to have successfully completed the WTO E-Learning 
Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application.  See Section I 
regarding enrolment in the E-Learning C ourse.  Applications from candidates who 
have not successfully completed the E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. 
(b) Before the start of the course, the selected participants will receive a questionnaire to 
assess the level of implementation of the SPS Agreement in their countries.  
Completion and submission of the responses to the questionnaire is compulsory for 
participation in the course.  
   G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2
 Page 9ANNEX I 
SPS-Specific Technical Assistance Acti vities in 2012 – Chronological Table 
 
Activity Pre-requisites 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 
E-Learning Course on SPS 
(English, French and 
Spanish) Only for 
Government officials 
from WTO Members 
and Observers  
Courses available throughout the year 
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Latin America E-Learning course 
on SPS* 
 
Only for 
Government officials 
working in the field 
of animal health 
quarantine or plant 
health quarantine  
 
 
Applications 
accepted until 
10 April. Results  
of 
selection 
 Workshop 
week of 
25 June 
     
  
Follow-up Regional SPS 
Workshop For English-
Speaking Africa E-Learning course 
on SPS* 
 
Preference will be 
given to WTO-
funded participants 
that attended the 
2011 Regional SPS 
Workshop for 
English-speaking 
Africa (held in 
Nairobi, Kenya), and 
only a limited 
number of new 
participants may be 
selected.  
Applications accepted until 
1 June.  Results  
of 
selection 
  Workshop 
week of 
24 September  
   
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 10 
Activity Pre-requisites 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 
2012 Advanced SPS Course 
in French E-Learning course 
on SPS* 
 
Completion and 
submission of pre-
course questionnaire  
Applications accepted until 
1 June.  Results  
of 
selection 
  Submission of 
response to the 
questionnaire Course 
from 
8-26 Oct   
Workshop on Transparency 
Provisions of the SPS 
Agreement  Only for SPS 
Enquiry Points and 
Notification 
Authorities Applications accepted until 
1 June.  Results  
of 
selection 
   Workshop 
from 
15-19 Oct   
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Asia and Pacific Economies E-Learning course 
on SPS* 
 Applications accepted until 
1 June.  Results  
of 
selection 
    Workshop 
week of  
5 Nov  
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Central and Eastern 
Europe, Central Asia and 
the Caucasus  E-Learning course 
on SPS* 
 Applications accepted until 
1 June.  Results  
of 
selection 
    Workshop 
week of 
19 Nov  
  Although the E-learning courses are available throughout the year, its completion must take place within three months of having  started the process.  
* Preference will be given to those candidates that have successf ully completed the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application.  
  All participants are expected to have completed th e E-Learning Course before the start of the workshop.   Further information can be found in Section I of this  
document.  
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 11 
 
 
  ANNEX II 
 
Progressive Learning Strategy 
SPS-specific Technical Assi stance (TA) Activities 
 
 
1. In order to respond to the need for greater coherence and complementarity in WTO capacity-
building, the Institute for Training and Techni cal Cooperation (ITTC) has developed a progressive 
strategy to promote higher levels of learning an d to encourage the development of participants’ 
autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long-lasting human and institutional capacity of 
beneficiary countries to participate most effectiv ely in the rules-based multilateral training system. 
2. In this regard, two broad cate gories of participants in WT O capacity-building have been 
identified: 
(a) "Generalists"  are those government officials who will need a broad knowledge of 
the WTO to conduct their work, such as cap ital-based officials dealing with WTO 
issues or delegates posted to Geneva mi ssions with general responsibility for WTO 
affairs;  
(b) "Specialists"  are those government officials that will require in-depth knowledge in 
a specific area, such as those officials working on a specific issue in a particular 
Ministry in their capital (for example, those who are dealing with SPS issues). 
3. Following this strategy, each SPS-specific techni cal assistance activity has been categorized 
based on a scale of three training levels, ranging fro m "Level 1" (the least advanced, introductory 
activities) to "Level 3" (the most a dvanced, in-depth training activities). 
Progressive Learning Strategy 
Level SPS-specific TA Activity 
1 and 2 E-Learning Courses on the SPS Agreement1 
2 National SPS Seminars2 
2 Thematic SPS Workshop, in Geneva 
2 and 3 Regional SPS Workshops3 
3 Advanced SPS Course, in Geneva 
                                                      
1 While an introduction to the SPS Agreement is  included in the Level 1 E-Learning course 
"Introduction to the WTO", this Internet course on the SPS Agreement is the most introductory-level training 
available specifically on the SPS Agreement. 
2 National SPS seminars may have a lower (more introductory) or higher (in-depth, advance training) 
level, depending on the training needs identified by the requesting Member, and the level of knowledge and 
experience of the participants.  The Secretariat will ai m to tailor the structure and content of these seminars 
according to each specific request a nd through consultations  with the beneficiar y Member during the 
preparation phase of the seminar.   
3 The training provided in regional SPS workshops will, in general, be more advanced than the training 
given in national SPS seminars, as it will also focus on  regional challenges and co ordination matters.  In 
determining the level of each regional workshop, the Secretariat will take into account the level of 
implementation of the SPS Agreement by the participating countries (for inst ance, through participation in the 
SPS Committee, number of notifications , etc.), as well as the overall level amongst the selected candidates. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 12  
 
  ANNEX III 
 
Thematic SPS Workshop in 2012 
 
 
Title of the activity Workshop on the Tr ansparency Provisions of the SPS Agreement 
Dates 15 to 19 October 2012 
Venue Geneva, Switzerland 
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers WTO least-developed and developing  country Members and Observers. 
 
Pre-requisites Only government officials working as the SPS Enquiry Point or the SPS 
National Notification Authority can apply.  
Exceptions will be made for candidates from WTO Members or Observers 
that have not yet designated either their SPS Enquiry Point or the SPS 
National Notification Authority, on the basis of evidence that the candidate 
will have responsibilities directly related to SPS. 
Fluent in either English, French or Spanish. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the applicati on form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at:   http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/sps_e/application_e.doc . 
 
Candidates should send only the application form electronically to: 
spscommittee@wto.org  before 1 June 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
   G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 13 
 
 
  ANNEX IV 
Regional SPS Workshops in 2012 
 
Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-
American Development Bank – IDB)  
Dates Week of 25 June 2012  
Venue Santiago, Chile  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers Argentina, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba ,1 Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua , Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay. 
Pre-requisites Only government officials working in the field of animal health quarantine or 
plant health quarantine will be considered .  Preference will be given to those 
candidates that have successfully completed the WTO E-Learning Course on 
the SPS Agreement by the time of their application.  All participants are expected to have completed the E-Learning Course before the start of the 
workshop.   
 The E-Learning Course is available at:  http://etraining.wto.org  
 
Fluency in Spanish.  
Application Candidates must fill in the application form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc.  
 
Candidates should send the application form and curriculum-vitae (CV) 
electronically to: 
spscommittee@wto.org  before 10 April 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
the end of April 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
                                                      
1 Participants that are selected from Cuba will be financed by the WTO. G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 14  
 
   
Title of the activity Follow-up Regional SPS Workshop for English-speaking Africa 
 
Dates Week of 24 September 2012 
Venue Ethiopia (TBC)  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers Botswana, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, 
Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, 
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sout h Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, 
Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. 
Pre-requisites Preference will be given to WTO-funded  participants who attended the 2011 
Regional SPS Workshop for English-speaking Africa (held in Nairobi, Kenya on 22-25 November 2011).  However, a limited number of new participants may be selected.    
Preference will also be given to t hose candidates that have successfully 
completed the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application.  All participants are expected to have completed the E-
Learning Course before the start of the workshop.
  The E-Learning Course is 
available at:  http://etraining.wto.org  
 
Fluency in English. 
 
Application Candidates must fill-in the applicati on form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc.  
 
Candidates should send only the application form electronically to: 
spscommittee@wto.org  before 1 June 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 15 
 
 
  Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Asia and Pacific Economies 
 
Dates Week of 5 November 2012 
Venue Chinese Taipei (TBC) 
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers Asia:   Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong 
Kong China, India, Indonesia, Korea (Rep. of), Lao, People's Democratic 
Republic of, Macao (China), Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, 
Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore,  Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei,  Thailand, 
Viet Nam.  Pacific Islands:   Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, 
Vanuatu. 
 
Pre-requisites Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed 
the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their 
application.  All participants are expe cted to have completed the E-Learning 
Course before the start of the workshop.   The E-Learning Course is available 
at: http://etraining.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in English. 
 
Application Candidates must fill-in the applicati on form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc.  
 
Candidates should send only the application form electronically to: spscommittee@wto.org  before 1 June 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 16  
 
  Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia 
and the Caucasus 
 
Dates Week of 19 November 2012  
Venue Joint Vienna Institute - Austria 
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Az erbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, 
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. 
 
Pre-requisites Preference will be given to those candidates that have successfully completed 
the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their 
application.  All participants are expe cted to have completed the E-Learning 
Course before the start of the workshop.   The E-Learning Course is available 
at:  http://etraining.wto.org . 
 
Fluency in English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the applicati on form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc.  
 
Candidates should send only the application form electronically to: 
spscommittee@wto.org  before 1 June 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered.  
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 17 
 
 
  ANNEX V 
2012 Advanced SPS Course 
 
Title of the activity 2012 Advanced SPS Course (in French) 
Dates 8 to 26 October 2012 
Venue Geneva, Switzerland 
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers WTO least-developed and developing  country Members and Observers 
 
Pre-requisites Successful completion of the WTO E-Learning Course on the SPS 
Agreement. 
Candidates are required to have successfully completed the WTO E-Learning 
Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application.  Applications from candidates who have not successfully completed the E-Learning Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered.  The E-Learning Course is 
available at:  http://etraining.wto.org . 
Completion and submission of the responses to the questionnaire is 
compulsory for participation in the course. 
Fluent in oral and written French. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the applicati on form (see format in Attachment I) 
which is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/application_e.doc.  
 
Candidates should send only the application form electronically to: spscommittee@wto.org  before 1 June 2012. 
Please write the title of the activity for which you are applying in the "subject" 
field of your email. 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered. 
Results of the 
selection Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selection by 
July 2012. 
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to the 
selected candidates. 
Selected candidates will be required to  immediately provide their passport 
information, including number, place and date of issue, and date of expiry. 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 18  
 
  ATTACHMENT I 
 
 
The following form is for reference only;  to apply for an activity, please fill in the application form 
found on the following link:  http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/sps_e/application_e.doc . 
 
 
 
APPLICATION FORM 
SPS TECHNICAL ASSI STANCE ACTIVITIES 
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! 
 
 In order to more accurately process your app lication, please fill in the application form 
electronically and save it as a word document   
 
 Please save the application form under your last name, in capitals, followed by your name (e.g. 
SMITH_john.doc)  
 
 Please write the title of the activity in the "subject" field of your email. 
 
 Please send the application form to: spscommittee@wto.org 
 
 The secretariat will inform Members' and Obser vers' contact points to the WTO (e.g. Mission 
in Geneva) of the proposed selection of candi dates from their government before the final 
selection.  
 
 Only government officials holding responsibilit y for the implementation of the SPS Agreement 
and fulfilling the pre-requisites will be considered. 
 
 All fields below must be completed. 
 
1.  ACTIVITY  
Please select only ONE  activity from the dropdown list for which you are applying.  Candidates 
wishing to apply for more than one SPS activity  in 2012 must fill-in one application form for each  
activity and submit them separately .  (Click on the grey box to access the dropdown list)    
 
 Workshop on the Transparency Provisions of the SPS Agreement  
 2012 Advanced SPS Course (in French) 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America 
 Follow-up Regional SPS Workshop for English-speaking Africa  
 Regional SPS Workshop for As ia and Pacific Economies 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Easter n Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus   G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 19 
 
 
   
2.  PERSONAL INFORMATION 
 
If selected, we will need to contact you by mail, fax and E-mail.  It is, therefore, indispensable to 
provide ALL the requested information.  If any contact  information is missing, your candidacy will not 
be considered.  
a) Names (fill-in your name exactly as it appears in your passport for the airline ticket) 
 
Family name:   First name: 
  Middle name: 
  
b) Work address and contact details:  (S treet, number, city, country, postal code) 
   
Telephone (with country code and area code):   
Fax (with country code and area code):   
 E-mail addresses (Indicate 2 different e-mails): 1.  2.  
 
c) General personal information 
Nationality:  
 Date and place of birth: 
(dd/mm/yyyy)  
 Gender: 
 
 
d) Working language(s): 
  
e) Other language skills: (indicate your level – beginner, intermediate, advanced or fluent) 
1.  
2.  
3.  
 
 
3.  HIGHER EDUCATION 
 
Name and location of 
institution: Dates (from – to): Title of Degree: Fields of study: 
    
    
    G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 20  
 
   
4.  CURRENT POSITION AND FUNCTIONS 
  
a) Title of the post and present position :  
 
b) Name and address of organization:   
c) Name of department or division:  
 
d) Description of daily functions and responsibilities:   
 
 
e) Years in the post:  (from ... to ....)  
 
f) Name, title and contact details of your supervisor or department chief:  
 
 
g) Work related to the SPS Agreement - please indi cate your areas of responsibility and expertise 
directly related to the SPS Agreement:  
 
 
h) Description of the duties related to the SPS Agr eement that you will be in charge of upon return 
to your country:   
 
 
 
 
5.  OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION 
 
a) Please indicate in which WTO-related training  activities (including the E-Learning Course on 
SPS) you have previously  participated  (indicate subject, date and duration): 
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.   G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 21 
 
 
   
I hereby certify that the statements and answer s presented above in this application form are 
complete and correct.  If selected to pa rticipate in a WTO activity, I commit to: 
 
 (1) conduct myself at all times in a manner compa tible with my status as a participant in a WTO 
training course and refrain from engaging in any activities incompatible with my status; 
 
(2) spend full time on the work programme during the period of the activity. 
 
Electronic Signature of candidate:  
 
Place and date:  
 
By typing in your name, you are agreeing to the terms outlined above. 
 
 
    The form is for reference only;  to apply for an  activity, please fill in the application form found on 
the following link:  http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/sps_e/app lication_e.doc . 
 G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 22  
 
  ATTACHMENT II 
 
 JOB/TC/2   6  February 2012 
 
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIENNIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
AND TRAINING PLAN 2012-2013 
 
Requests for National TA Activities 
 
 1. The Biennial Technical Assistance Plan (T A Plan) for 2012-2013 was adopted by the 
Committee on Trade and Development on 14 November 2011 (WT/COMTD/W/180/Rev.1). 
2. Members are invited to submit requests  for national activities to be held in 2012 at their 
earliest convenience.  The TA Plan  leaves considerable room for flexibility in matching available 
resources with national demands.  The main objec tive of national activities is to address specific 
issues that in terms of priority cannot be adequa tely covered in the pla nned regional seminars and 
trade policy courses.  All requests should be addressed to the Di rector of the Institute for Training 
and Technical Cooperation (ITTC).  
3. The requests should, as much as possible, be based on a needs assessment  undertaken by the 
beneficiary or by the WTO Secretariat as reflected in Trade Policy Review Reports and other documents as well as by other organisations.  Be neficiaries are invited to use the TRTA National 
Request Form annexed.  The requests should cont ain precise information on the topics/issues to be 
addressed, so as to best tailor the assistance provide d.  Members are invited to indicate any support 
already offered by other agencies and/or donors on the same or related needs, so as to allow for 
efficient use of the Secretariat's financial and human resources. 
4. Pursuant to the implementation of the progressive learning strategy and the results based 
management approach to TRTA by the Secretar iat, considerable emphasis is being placed on 
identifying the expected results or  objectives of training activities.  Therefore, the beneficiary would 
be requested prior to the activity to clearly state the expected outco mes or objectives that would result 
from the activity.  ITTC and the beneficiary coun try will agree on what indicators will be used to 
ascertain whether the expected results have been achieved. 
5. Given the constraints in WTO resources, both huma n and financial, we need to plan carefully 
so that the demands are met to the extent possibl e.  Resources permitting, no more than two national 
activities will be provided to the developing countr ies and no more than three for LDCs for each 
calendar year.  This figure is indicative and aimed at ensuring that a disproportionate allocation of 
national seminars to the same beneficiary does not occur. 
6. All requests will be given serious and equal a ttention, but for organisational purposes, it 
would be helpful if requests are timely submitte d by delegations.  The Secretariat encourages 
Members to provide equal opportunity for men and women to participate in WTO's TA programmes. 
 
 
 
_______________  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 23 
 
 
  ANNEX TO JOB/TC/2 
 
TRTA NATIONAL REQUEST FORM 
 
 
 Consistent with the demand driven nature of TRTA provided by the Secretariat, the attached 
form is designed to assist beneficiary countries, who would like to request a national technical 
assistance activity to be held in their country, in  providing more detailed and specific background 
information on the nature of the activity to be c onducted.  This includes precise information on the 
outputs and outcomes set for the activity, the required  levels of specificity of the presentations, the 
target audience, expected participants ' knowledge of subject(s) covered, etc. 
  Also, it would be useful for the Secretaria t to understand how the activity fits in the 
beneficiaries' overall strategies and if and how it is based on a specific needs assessment.  This would allow the Secretariat to better tailor the technical assistance to the specific needs of the beneficiary, 
thus ensuring that expectations can be met. 
  To facilitate the process, the Secretariat stands  ready to provide support and can give detailed 
information on the technical assistance that has been  provided in beneficiary countries over the past 
two or three years.  
 The Secretariat would kindly request beneficiar ies of TRTA to complete this form and send it 
back as an attachment to the offi cial request.  All forms should be addressed to the Director of the 
Institute for Training and Technical Coopera tion and sent by fax to +41 22 739 57 64. 
  
 
_______________ 
  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 24  
 
  P
LEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM FOR EACH TRTA AND CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITY  
AND FORWARD IT WITH YOUR COVER LETTER TO : 
 THE INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION (ITTC)  – WTO  - GENEVA  
FAX: +41 22 739 57 64 
 
Government of ...  
Requesting governmental authority   
(Ministry, Permanent Mission):  
Contact person(s)  in capital 
responsible for the activity: Name:   
  
 
Address:   Email: 
 Tel: 
 
Fax:  
Mobile: 
 
Topic(s ) for the Activity: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Academics   .....................................................  □ 
Accession   .......................................................  □ 
Agriculture   ......................................................  □ 
Competition Policy   ..........................................  □ 
Customs Valuation   ..........................................  □ 
Development Issues   ........................................  □ 
Dispute Settlement   ...........................................  □ 
Environment   ..................................................  □ 
General Capacity-Building   ................................ □ 
Government Procurement   ................................  □ 
IT / WTO Reference Centre   .............................  □ 
Non-Agricultural Market Access............................ □ 
Notifications  .................................................... □ 
Outreach .......................................................... □ 
Regional Trade Agreements ...............................  □ 
Rules .................................................................... □ 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  ................ □ 
Services   ......................................................... □ 
Technical Barriers to Trade   ..............................  □ 
Trade Facilitation   ............................................  □ 
Trade Negotiation Skills/Techniques   .................  □ 
Trade Policies Review Mechanism   ................... □ 
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights  ... □ 
Other ...................................................................   □  G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
 Page 25 
 
 
  Please indicate if any particular 
aspect of the chosen topic needs to 
be addressed in detail.  
Has this topic been covered by other 
TRTA providers?  
Justification :  Please indicate if this 
request is based, for example, on a 
needs assessment emanating from a 
Trade Policy Review, a Diagnostic 
Trade Integration Study (DTIS) under 
the Enhanced Integrated Framework 
(EIF) STDF, TF or any other relevant 
study or document.  If not, please 
provide reasons for the request:  
Outputs:   Please state the expected 
immediate outputs and proposed 
indicators to be used to measure the 
success of the activity   
Outcomes:  Please state the 
expected medium-term outcomes for 
this activity along with proposed 
indicators that can confirm the 
outcomes have been achieved.  
  
Target audience : Government officials □  Journalists □ 
 
Civil society  □  Academics □ 
 
Private sector  □   Others  □  
 
Parliamentarians  □ 
 
Background/Expertise:  Please 
provide succinct information on the 
background and expertise of the 
participants.   
Resource persons:   Can national or 
other speakers/experts be involved in 
the activity?  
Proposed venue  and preferred dates 
for the activity:  
In which of the WTO official  language  
is the activity to be conducted?  English  □ French  □ Spanish  □ 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.2 
Page 26  
 
  List WTO National TRTA requests for 
the last two years: 
 
 
  
Any additional comments:  
 
 
__________