WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/997 
5 March 2010 
 (10-1218) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANC E ACTIVITIES IN 2010:  
GENERAL INFORMATION, SELECTION PROCESSES AND APPLICATION FORM 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
 
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 2010, encompassing:  e-Training courses, national SPS seminars, a thematic SPS 
workshop in Geneva, regional SPS work shops and an advanced SPS course.2  These activities will 
primarily focus on the provisions of the SPS Agre ement, 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 capacities to engage in the work of the SPS 
Committee.  
2. This document provides detailed information about each SPS-specific WTO technical 
assistance activity planned for 2010, including informa tion 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-Training Courses on the SPS Agreement 
• National SPS Seminars 
• Thematic SPS Workshop 
• Regional SPS Workshops 
• Advanced SPS Course and Follow-up Session 
4. A chronological table with the dates and step s of all the SPS-specific technical assistance 
activities in 2010 can be found in Annex I. 
                                                      
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), Regional Trade Policy Courses, and Advanced Trade Policy Courses.  For more information on these training courses, please consult the WTO website on 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e /devel_e/train_e/course_details_e.htm
. 
3 The SPS Committee is scheduled to meet three time in 2010: 17 -18 March;  30 June-1 July;  and 20-
21 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 changes. G/SPS/GEN/997 
Page 2  
 
  5. The structure, content, target audience, pre -requisites, exercises and materials of these SPS-
specific activities will follow the WTO progressive learning strategy.
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 
making candidates aware of the expected level of th e activity before they apply, and facilitate the 
Secretariat's assessment of whether a candidate's pr ofile and experience match the level of the activity 
when carrying out the selection process.  This will u ltimately help ensure that the participants in a 
particular activity are able to most effectively fo llow and contribute to the discussions, and that they 
have an harmonized level of unde rstanding of the SPS Agreement.  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-TRAINING 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 all 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 SPS 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-Training 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 completed within eight weeks.  At the end of each module, participants are required to take a short on-line test.  The completion of these tests are required for the successful completion of the course. 
8. Successful completion of the e-Training course on the SPS Agreement is a compulsory
 pre-
requisite for participation in a number of other SPS technical assistance activities, such as the regional 
workshops and the advanced SPS course.  Howeve r, successful completion of the e-Training course 
on the SPS Agreement does not guarantee  selection for other SPS-related training events.  
Government officials who have already successful ly completed the e-Training course on the SPS 
Agreement, in any of the available languages, are not required to undertake it again.   
9. The WTO will offer four e-Training courses on the SPS Agreement in 2010: 
• in English : from 29 March to 21 May.  Regi stration is open until 12 March; 
• in Spanish : from 26 April to 18 June. Registration is open until 13 April; 
• in English : from 10 May to 2 July. Registration is open until 30 April; 
• in French : from 31 May to 23 July. Registration is open until 21 May. 
10. Government officials from WTO Members and Observers wishing to register for one of the e-
Training courses on the SPS Agreement must access the WTO e-Training website (https://etraining.wto.org
).  The website has two forms which need to be filled-in and submitted: 
                                                      
4 The primary aim of the progressive learning strategy is to promote higher levels of learning and to 
encourage the development of particip ants’ autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long-lasting 
human and institutional capacity of beneficiary countries to participate most effectively in the rules-based 
multilateral training system.  G/SPS/GEN/997 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (a) on-line form:  available on http://etraining.wto.org  at “Course Catalog”.  This form 
needs to be completed on-line, and it will ge nerate a registration number that will be 
used in the "nomination form"; 
(b) nomination form:  the candidate should be confirmed by the responsible government 
authorities.  The nomination form is also available on http://etraining.wto.org  at 
“Course Catalog”.  The completed nominati on form must be sent either by email 
(scanned) to etraining.registration@wto.org  or by fax to +41 22 739 5191. 
11. Further information and instructions about th e registration process for the e-Training 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 
12. 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 possi ble to address both the SPS and TBT Agreements in 
a single national seminar. 
13. 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(09)/55), also found in 
the WTO Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2010-2011 (WT/COMTD/W/170/Rev.1) and in Attachment II.   
14. 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. 
15. Due to the increased number of requests received for national SPS seminars in the last years, 
the Secretariat encourages Members and Observers  to submit any request for national SPS seminars 
as early as possible, preferably before April, to en sure a proper coordination and preparation for these 
activities.
5 
III. THEMATIC SPS WORKSHOP  
Level of this activity:  1    3  
16. The Secretariat will organize a special works hop on the transparency provisions of the SPS 
Agreement to be held in Gene va, Switzerland, on Monday, 18 October 2010.  The meeting will 
precede the informal and regular meetings of th e SPS Committee (which will take place from 19 to 
21 October 2010) so as to facilitate the partic ipation of appropriate experts from capitals. 
17. The objective of this workshop is to bring together officials from WTO Members' SPS 
enquiry points and national notification authorities fo r an in-depth discussion about the challenges and 
concerns relating to the functioning of these institu tions and to identify best practices.  The target 
audience for the meeting is mid- to high- level officials directly involved in the work of the SPS 
enquiry point or the national notification authority.   
                                                      
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 
Page 4  
 
  18. Presentations will focus on improving the operation of national notification authorities and 
enquiry points based on the overview of the transpar ency provisions of the SPS Agreement, analysis 
of Members' practices related to notifications to date, in addition to dem onstration of the newly-
launched features and improvements of the SPS Info rmation Management System.  The workshop 
will provide opportunities for discussions and ex changes of information about Members' good 
practices on transparency issues and how Members can benefit from SPS notifications, and explore 
practical ways to improve Members' implemen tation of the SPS transparency provisions.   
19. The workshop is also open to participati on by all delegates from  WTO Members and 
Observers attending the SPS Committee meeting.   
20. 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 dir ectly responsible for the work of either the SPS 
enquiry point or the national notification authorit y.  Exceptions will be made for candidates from 
WTO Members that have not yet designated their SPS enquiry point and/or the national notification 
authority, as well as for WTO Observer countries, on th e basis of evidence that the candidate has, or 
will have, responsibilities related to SPS notifications in their countries. 
21. 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 thematic 
workshop on the SPS Agreement in the recent past.  No more than one participant from each country 
will be selected. 
22. Government officials from WTO Members a nd Observers meeting the abovementioned 
criteria and wishing to apply for the thematic wo rkshop must complete the application form in 
Attachment I in accordance with the instructions pr ovided in Annex III.  Please copy the application 
form found in Attachment I and save it as a separate document before submitting. 
23. 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 18 to 
22 October 2010) 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. O
VERVIEW  
24. 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). 
25. 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 share of best 
practices related to the implementation of the SPS Agreement.  G/SPS/GEN/997 
 Page 5 
 
 
  26. Representatives from the three international standa rd setting organizations referenced in the 
SPS Agreement (the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex);  the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat;  and th e World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)) 
actively participate as resource persons in th ese regional workshops, contributing with their 
knowledge and experience in their areas of experti se.  In addition, the WTO may invite relevant 
regional organizations, internationa l and regional development institu tions and organizations, as well 
as other technical assistance organizations and bilate ral donors involved in SPS matters to inform the 
participants of their latest activities. 
B. S
ELECTION PROCESS  
27. 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 ba lance regarding participan ts' specializations and 
countries of origin.   
28. 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.   
29. Government officials from WTO Members and Ob servers wishing to apply for participation 
in the regional workshops must complete the appli cation form in Attachment I in accordance with the 
instructions provided in Annex IV.  Please copy th e application form found in Attachment I and save 
it as a separate document before submitting. 
30. 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.  
31. Selected participants will receive an economy- class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if 
applicable), daily subsistence allowance for the dur ation of the workshop only and terminal expenses 
at the applicable WTO rate.  These will be provide d to the participant by the WTO as of the opening 
day of the activity.  Other administrative arrangeme nts will be communicated directly to the selected 
participants in advance of each activity.  
C. PRE-REQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION  
32. All candidates are required to have successfu lly completed the WTO e-Training Course on 
the SPS Agreement.   
33. Candidates who have not undertaken the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement by 
the time of their application, must enrol and su ccessfully complete one of the courses in 2010, as 
described in Section I.  Applications from candida tes who do not successfully complete the e-Training 
Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. G/SPS/GEN/997 
Page 6  
 
  D. R
EGIONAL SPS  WORKSHOPS IN 2010 
34. In accordance with the WTO Biennial Technical  Assistance and Training Plan 2010-2011 
(WT/COMTD/W/170), three regional workshops on the SPS Agreement will be organized in 2010: 
• Regional SPS Workshop for Asia and Pacific 
• Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America6 
• Regional SPS Workshop for Central and East ern Europe, Central Asia and Caucasus. 
 
35. Specific information and instructions for each  of these three activities can be found in 
Annex IV. 
V. ADVANCED SPS COURSE AND FOLLOW-UP SESSION 
Level of this activity:  1     3 
A. OVERVIEW  
36. The 2010 Advanced SPS Course will be held  from 11 to 29 October 2010 in Geneva, 
Switzerland, in English .  This course is an in-depth and "hands-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.   
37. 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 
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 proce dures of the Committee and to participate in the 
discussions taking place there.  In the third week, pa rticipants will compare their experiences and will 
learn more about how to improve the implementa tion of specific provisions of the SPS Agreement, 
including the application of concepts and principles such as risk analysis, harmonization, equivalence, 
regionalization and transparency.  Dispute settle ment, technical assistance and cooperation, and 
special and differential treatment will also be a ddressed.  A number of external experts, including 
from Codex, IPPC and OIE, will participate in parts of the course.  
38. 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. 
39. A follow-up session will be organized in June 2011,  where participants to the advanced SPS  
course will report on the implementation of their action plans. 
B. SELECTION PROCESS  
40. 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: 
                                                      
6 Taking into account the differen t SPS characteristics and training needs between the Latin American 
and the Caribbean regions, in addition to the different languages amongst those countries, the WTO Secretariat 
will organize a separate regional SPS workshop for the Caribbean region in 2011.  G/SPS/GEN/997 
 Page 7 
 
 
  (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 advance level of understandi ng of the provisions and structure of 
the WTO and the principles and provisions of the SPS Agreement;  and 
(c) fluent in oral and written English. 
41. Government officials from WTO Members and Ob servers wishing to apply for the advanced 
SPS course must complete the application form in A ttachment I and follow the instructions provided 
in Annex V.  Please copy the application form found in Attachment I and save it as a separate 
document before submitting. 
42. 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.  
43. Selected participants will receive an economy- class round-trip air-ticket (excursion fare, if 
applicable), daily subsistence allowance for the dur ation of the workshop only and terminal expenses 
at the applicable WTO rate.  These will be provide d to the participant by the WTO as of the opening 
day of the activity.  Other administrative arrangeme nts will be communicated directly to the selected 
participants in advance to the course.  
C. P
RE-REQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION  
44. There are two pre-requisites for partic ipation in the advanced SPS course: 
(a) All candidates are required to have successfully completed the WTO e-Training 
Course on the SPS Agreement.  Candidat es who have not undertaken the WTO e-
Training Course on the SPS Agreement by the time of their application must enrol 
and successfully complete one of the courses in 2010, as described in Section I.  Applications from candidates who do not successfully complete the e-Training 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 
Page 8 ANNEX I 
SPS-specific Technical Assistance Acti vities in 2010 – Chronological Table 
 
Activity Pre-requisites 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Asia and Pacific e-Training course 
on SPS*  
Applications through 9 July.  Results  of 
selection   Workshop 
week 22/11  
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Latin America e-Training course 
on SPS*  
Applications through 9 July.  Results  of 
selection 
   Workshop 
week 15/11  
Regional SPS Workshop for 
Central and Eastern 
Europe, Central Asia and 
Caucasus e-Training course 
on SPS*  
Applications through 9 July.  Results  of 
selection 
   Workshop 
week  8/11  
2010 Advanced SPS Course  e-Training course 
on SPS* 
 
Response to the 
questionnaire  
Applications through 9 July.  Results  of 
selection 
 Response to 
the 
questionnaire Course 
from  
11 to 29/10   
Workshop on Transparency Only for SPS 
Enquiry Points and 
Notification 
Authorities  
Applications through 9 July. Results  of 
selection 
  Workshop  
18 to 22/10   
  
   G/SPS/GEN/997
 Page 9Activity Pre-requisites 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 
e-Training Course on SPS 
in English    Deadline for registration  12 
March. 
 
Course running from 29 
March to 21 May  
(8 weeks) 
 
        
e-Training Course on SPS 
in Spanish     Deadline for registration 13 
April. 
 
Course running from 26 April 
to 18 June 
(8 weeks) 
 
       
e-Training Course on SPS 
in English      Deadline for registration 30 
April. 
 
Course running from 10 May 
to 2 July 
(8 weeks) 
 
       
e-Training Course on SPS 
in French      Deadline for registration 21 
May. 
 
Course running from 31 May to 
23 July 
(8 weeks) 
 
      
* Candidates who have not successfully comp leted the WTO e-Training course on the SPS Ag reement by the time of their applicatio n, must enrol in one of the 
courses in 2010.  Their final selection w ill be subject to a successful completion of the e-training course  prior to the beginn ing of the activity for which the 
candidate is applying.  Further information can be found in Section I of this document.  G/SPS/GEN/997 
Page 10  
 
  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-Training Courses on the SPS Agreement1 
2 National SPS Seminars2 
2 Thematic SPS Workshop, in Geneva 
2 Regional SPS Workshops3 
3 Advanced SPS Course, in Geneva 
                                                      
1 While an introduction to the SPS Agreement is  included in the Level 1 e-Training 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 
 Page 11 
 
 
  ANNEX III 
Thematic SPS Workshop in 2010 
 
Title of the activity Workshop on the Tr ansparency Provisions of the SPS Agreement 
Dates 18 to 22 October 2010 
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 candida tes from WTO Members or Observer 
countries 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 dir ectly related to SPS notifications in 
his/her country. 
Fluent in either English, French or Spanish. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the application form in Attachment I, and send only 
Attachment I electronically  to:  spscommittee@wto.org  before 9 July 2010. 
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 
August 2010. 
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 
Page 12  
 
  ANNEX IV 
Regional SPS Workshops in 2010 
 
Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Asia and Pacific 
Dates Week of 22 November 2010 
Venue Colombo, Sri Lanka (to be confirmed) 
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, Singapor e, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Timor-
Leste, Thailand, Viet Nam.                                             
 
Pacific Islands:   Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, 
Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fede rated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall 
Islands, Nauru, Niue Island, Palau, Tuvalu.  
Pre-requisites Successful completion of the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement.  
Candidates who have not undertaken the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS 
Agreement must enrol and successfully complete one of the courses in 2010.  
Applications from candidates who do not successfully complete the e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. 
Fluency in English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the application form in Attachment I, and send only 
Attachment I electronically  to:  spscommittee@wto.org  before 9 July 2010. 
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 
August 2010. 
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 
 Page 13 
 
 
   
Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America (co-organized with the Inter-
American Development Bank – IDB)  
Dates Week of 15 November 2010 
Venue Lima, Peru (to be confirmed) 
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers Argentina, Bolivarian Repupblic of Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Domini can Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua , Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay. 
Pre-requisites Successful completion of the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement.  
Candidates who have not undertaken the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS 
Agreement must enrol and successfully complete one of the courses in 2010.  
Applications from candidates who do not successfully complete the e-
Training Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. 
Fluency in Spanish. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the application form in Attachment I, and send only 
Attachment I electronically  to:  spscommittee@wto.org  before 9 July 2010. 
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 
August 2010. 
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 
Page 14  
 
   
Title of the activity Regional SPS Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia 
and Caucasus  
Dates Week of 8 November 2010  
Venue (to be confirmed) 
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, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. 
 
Pre-requisites Successful completion of the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement.  
Candidates who have not undertaken the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS 
Agreement must enrol and successfully complete one of the courses in 2010.  
Applications from candidates who do not successfully complete the e-Training Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. 
Fluency in English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the application form in Attachment I, and send only 
Attachment I electronically  to:  spscommittee@wto.org  before 9 July 2010. 
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 
August 2010. 
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 
 Page 15 
 
 
  ANNEX V 
2010 Advanced SPS Course 
 
Title of the activity 2010 Advanced SPS Course (in English) 
Dates 11 to 29 October 2010 
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-Training Course on the SPS Agreement.  
Candidates who have not undertaken the WTO e-Training Course on the SPS 
Agreement must enrol and successfully complete one of the courses in 2010.  
Applications from candidates who do not successfully complete the e-
Training Course on the SPS Agreement will not be considered. 
Completion and submission of the responses to the questionnaire is 
compulsory for participation in the course. 
Fluent in oral and written English. 
Application Candidates must fill-in the application form in Attachment I, and send only 
Attachment I electronically  to:  spscommittee@wto.org  before 9 July 2010. 
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 
August 2010. 
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 
Page 16  
 
  ATTACHMENT I 
 
 
APPLICATION FORM  
 
SPS TECHNICAL ASSI STANCE ACTIVITIES 
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! 
 
 PLEASE SEND ONLY THE APPLICATION FORM, WITHOUT THE TEXT OF THE 
DOCUMENT, TO:  SPSCOMMITTEE@WTO.ORG.   
 
 PLEASE WRITE THE TITLE OF THE ACTIVITY IN THE "SUBJECT" FIELD OF YOUR 
EMAIL. 
 
 THE SECRETARIAT WILL INFORM MEMBERS' AND OBSERVERS' CONTACT 
POINTS TO THE WTO (E.G. MISSION IN GENEVA) OF THE PROPOSED SELECTION 
OF CANDIDATES FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE FINAL SELECTION.  
 
 ONLY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HOLDING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS AGREEMENT AND FULFILLING THE PRE-
REQUISITES WILL BE CONSIDERED. 
 
 ALL FIELDS BELOW MUST BE COMPLETED. 
 
 
1.  ACTIVITY  
Please mark only ONE  activity below for which you are applying.  Candidates wishing to apply for 
more than one SPS activity in 2010 must  fill-in one application form for each  activity and submit them 
separately.  
 Regional SPS Workshop for Asia and Pacific 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Latin America 
 Regional SPS Workshop for Central and E astern Europe, Central Asia and Caucasus 
 Workshop on the Transparency Provisions of the SPS Agreement 
  2010 Advanced SPS Course 
 
 
2. PERSONAL INFORMATION 
 
If selected, we will need to contact you by mail, fa x 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.   G/SPS/GEN/997 
 Page 17 
 
 
  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: (St reet, number, city, country, postal code) 
           
Telephone (with country code and area code):        
Fax (with country code and area code):        
 E-mail addresses: 1 .        
2 .        
 
c) General personal information 
Nationality: 
 
      Date and place of birth: 
(dd/mm/yyyy)  
      Gender: 
 Male 
      Female  
 
 
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 
Page 18  
 
   
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-Training Course on 
SPS) you have previously  participated  (indicate subject, date and duration): 
1 .        
2 .        
3 .        
4 .        
 
I hereby certify that the statements and answer s presented above in this application form are 
complete and correct. If selected to par ticipate 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.  
 
Place and date:            Signature of candidate:   
 
  G/SPS/GEN/997 
 Page 19 
 
 
  ATTACHMENT II 
 
JOB(09)/55  26 June 2009  
   
 
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 conducted. This includes precise information on the 
objectives 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 
Secretariat to understand how the activity fits in the beneficiaries' overall stra tegies and if and how it 
is based on a specific needs assessment. This would a llow 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 
Page 20  
 
  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 
 Page 21 
 
 
  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:  
Objectives :  To enable us to tailor 
this activity to the needs of your 
country, please state the expected 
outcomes: 
  
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 
Page 22  
 
  List WTO National TRTA requests for 
the last two years: 
 
 
  
Any additional comments:  
 
 
__________