WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1163 
3 July 2012 
 (12-3551) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phystosanitary Measures Original: Spanish 
  
 
ACTIONS AIMED AT IMPLEMENTING THE WTO AGREEMENT 
ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Information submitted by the Inter-American Institute for 
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) 
   The following communication, received on 2 July 2012, is being circulated at the request 
of IICA. 
 
_______________ 
 
 1. The observer organizations of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (SPS Committee) are invited to submit repor ts on the activities they have carried out to 
promote understanding and implementation of the S PS Agreement.  IICA wishes to present some of 
the actions or activities it considers rele vant to the work of this Committee. 
Promoting participation in multilateral fo rums associated with the SPS Committee 
 
2. In its previous communication (G/SPS/GEN/1146), IICA reported on the completion of the 
project "Promoting Participation of the Americas in Codex Alimentarius Committees", funded by the 
Government of the United States and IICA.  We now  wish to report on the contribution provided by 
the Government of Canada to support the particip ation of the countries of Latin America and the 
Caribbean (LAC) in the meetings of the P esticide Residues and Food Labelling Committees. 
3. We also wish to inform this Committee that the Government of Brazil has expressed interest 
in carrying out a project aimed at strengt hening and supporting, along with IICA, the 
Codex Committees of LAC.  This project could be  added to the efforts of the United States and 
Canada to support participation and capacity building in LAC. 
4. Between March and July of this year, IICA c ontinued to hold coordination events related to 
the Codex Alimentarius, supporting the Co dex Committee for Latin America and the 
Caribbean (CCLAC) with virtual meetings.  These sessions have been of great benefit for the CCLAC, enabling it to identify topics of common inte rest and move forward in the formulation of 
regional positions.  Recently, coordination sessions  have been held in connection with 
Pesticide Residues, Food Labelling, General Principles, and the Commission. 
5. Also, as part of the process of supporting the CCL AC, IICA coordinated and participated in a 
mission designed to establish closer relations and exchange experiences between Costa Rica 
(Coordinator of the CCLAC) and two countries of  the Caribbean (Barbados and Trinidad and 
Tobago).  The objective was to encourage clo ser ties between CCLAC Coordination and the 
Caribbean Region.  The official from Costa Rica had the opportunity to meet with the national 
committees, focal points and high-level officials.  A work plan was drawn up for improving regional 
cohesion. G/SPS/GEN/1163 
Page 2  
 
  6. IICA lent support to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in reviewing the 
virtual course on Pest Risk Analysis for the Andean Region and provided inputs to improve 
online materials.  The IPPC received documents on how to adapt the course for the Southern and 
Caribbean Regions.  For further information, c ontact:  Ricardo Molins (Ricardo.Molins@iica.int) or 
Eric Bolaños (Erick.Bolanos@iica.int). 
Development of technical and institutional capacities 
 
7. The IICA Performance, Vision and Strategy (PVS ) instruments for Phytosanitary Services 
and Food Safety Systems were applied in Jamaica as  part of the institutional modernization process 
under way in that country.  For further information,  contact:  Carol Thomas (carol.thomas@iica.int) or 
Ana Marisa Cordero (ana.cordero@iica.int). 
8. For the second time, IICA applied the PVS instru ments for Plant Health, Animal Health and 
Food Safety in Ecuador as part of the institutiona l modernization process under way in that country.  
The results of these applications were compared w ith those of the first application as a means of 
measuring the continuous improvement of the services.   For further information, contact:  Ana Marisa 
Cordero (ana.cordero@iica.int). 
9. In Costa Rica IICA is supporting two institutiona l modernization processes with the plant and 
animal health authorities, i.e. the State Phyto sanitary Service (SFE) to develop the investment 
component of its strategic plan, and the Nationa l Animal Health Service (SENASA) to prepare 
its strategic plan.  For further information, c ontact:  Sacha Trelles (sacha.trelles@iica.int) or 
Alejandra Diaz (Alejandra.diaz@iica.int). 
10. From 9 to 14 April, the fourth module of th e Second Series of the Executive Leadership in 
Food Safety (ELFS) Program was held in Panama, br inging the series to a close;  34 professionals 
from 20 countries of the hemisphere we re trained and educated in topics of leadership and food safety.  
The participants reached agreements aimed at c onsolidating the current network.  The initiative 
received support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Global Initiative for Food 
Systems Leadership of the University of Minnesota  and IICA.  For further information, contact:  
Ana Marisa Cordero (ana.cordero@iica.int) or Ricardo Molins (Ricardo.Molins@iica.int). 
11. A Regional Workshop on Inspection and Certifi cation in Animal Health, Plant Health, and 
Food Safety was held in March a nd attended by 12 officials from e ach Andean country (Colombia, 
Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia).  The event was held jointly with the Andean Community of 
Nations (CAN) and with support from Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (A AFC).  In addition to 
receiving training in inspection procedures, the pa rticipants identified needs and opportunities for 
cooperation in these fields.  For further informati on, contact:  Jaime Flores (jaime.flores@iica.int). 
12. A simulated roundtable exercise on foot and mouth disease was held for the 
Caribbean Region, involving online simultaneous participation in the following countries or 
territories:  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Do minica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, 
Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vi ncent and the Grenadines and the US Virgin Islands. 
13. The Standards and Trade Development Facility approved a novel project for the creation of a 
Virtual Regional Food Inspectors School for Ce ntral America and the Dominican Republic.  
Implementation of the project will begin in July  2012.  For further information, contact:  
Ricardo Molins (Ricardo.Molins@iica.int).  G/SPS/GEN/1163 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Publications 
 
14. The following publications can be found at:  
http://www.iica.int/esp/programas/ sanidad/Paginas/default.aspx : 
(a) The Belize medfly programme.  A case study on maintaining a medfly surveillance 
and eradication programme (available in English only); 
(b) COSAVE:  Una experiencia de integración regional  (A regional integration 
experience) (available in Spanish only); 
(c) Incidencia de los requisitos privados  para los alimentos en el cono Sur  (Impact of 
private food standards in the Southern Cone) (available in Spanish only). 
Future projects 
 
15. IICA will earmark resources in the near future  to implement the following projects:  
(i) improvement of Bovine Tuberculosis and Br ucellosis control and eradication programmes by 
coordinating the work in animal health and pub lic health and the use of innovative tools;  
(ii) introduction of sanitary early warning system s in territories susceptible to climate change;  
(iii) implementation of a group traceability system for beef in Bolivia, drawing on the experience 
acquired in Costa Rica through the STDF-funded proj ect 116;  and (iv) creation of a Virtual School 
for Phytosanitary Inspectors in South America.  For further information, contact:  Ricardo Molins 
(Ricardo.Molins@iica.int). 
 
Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) 
Agricultural Health and Food Safety 
http://www.infoagro.net/salud 
http://www.iica.int/ 
 
__________