WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/956 
6 July 2009 
 (09-3312) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
SPS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN 2009 
 
Information from the Secretariat
1 
  
 The following information describes the SPS t echnical assistance activities undertaken and 
planned by the WTO Secretariat for 2009, based on the "Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2008-2009" (WT/COMTD/W/160).
2 
 
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1. Regional Seminars 
 
Date Region Venue Organized by Other 
participating 
organizations 
09-12 February 2009 Pacific Fiji WTO Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
08-11 June 2009 Africa (English-
speaking) Lesotho WTO Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
16-19 June 2009 Africa (French-
speaking) Cameroon WTO Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
03-06 August 2009 Asia Lao PDR WTO Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
Week 28 September 
2009 (TBC) Africa (English-
speaking) Ghana 
(TBC) WTO Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
23-27 November 2009 Central Eastern Europe 
and Central Asia Austria WTO  Codex, IPPC and 
OIE 
 
 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. 
2 The venues and dates for planned activities are subject to changes.  Tables have been updated to 
reflect more recently available info rmation.  Additional information, including draft programmes, eligible 
countries/customs territories, participan ts' requirements, are available at:  
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e /devel_e/train_e/course_details_e.htm . G/SPS/GEN/956 
Page 2  
 
  2. National Seminars
3 
 
Date Venue Organized by Other 
participating 
organizations 
13 February 2009 Fi ji (SPS/TBT) WTO - 
11-12 March 2009 Turkey WTO - 
24-25 March 2009 Oman (SPS/TBT) WTO - 
15 May 2009 Mauritius WTO - 
16-17 May 2009 Saudi Arabia WTO OIE, IPPC, and 
Codex 
18-22 May 2009 Angola (SPS/Agriculture) WTO - 
19-20 May 2009 Lebanon WTO - 
10-11 August 2009 Bangladesh WTO - 
06-08 October 2009 Indonesia WTO - 
TBC Ethiopia (SPS/TBT) WTO - 
TBC Uganda (SPS/TBT) WTO - 
TBC  Nigeria WTO - 
TBC Malawi (SPS/TBT) WTO - 
TBC  Zimbabwe WTO - 
TBC Comoros WTO - 
 
 
3.  Geneva-based Specialized Courses  
Date Activity Venue Organized by 
18 – 25 June 2009 Follow-up 4th Specialized Course 
on SPS (held in 2008) Geneva WTO 
12- 30 October 2009 5th Specialized Co urse on SPS 
(Spanish) Geneva WTO 
 
 4. Geneva-based Topic-specific Symposium   
Date Activity Venue Organized by 
26 October 2009 Special Workshop on the relationship 
between the SPS Committee and the 
OIE, IPPC, and Codex Geneva WTO 
30 October 2009 STDF Workshop on the use of economic 
analysis to inform SPS decision-making Geneva WTO (STDF)4 
 
                                                      
3 The delivery of national activities in 2009 depends on Members' requests, on the resources of the 
Secretariat to undertake them and on whether the request could be addressed through a regional activity. 
4 Idem .  G/SPS/GEN/956 
 Page 3 
 
 
  5. Geneva-based Topic-specific Symposium  
 
Date Activity Venue Organized by 
13-16 July 2009 Workshop on Participation of African 
Nations in Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Standards-setting Organizations Project 
(PAN – SPSO) Nairobi, 
Kenya WTO (STDF) and AU-
IBAR5 
20-23 July 2009 Workshop on Participation of African 
Nations in Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Standards-setting Organizations Project 
(PAN – SPSO) Bamako, 
Mali WTO (STDF) and AU-
IBAR6 
22-23 September 
2009 Workshop on new developments in 
climate change and trade, and the 
implications for SPS risks Washington 
D.C., USA WTO (STDF) and the 
World Bank7 
29-30 September 
2009 Workshop on the implementation of a 
regional action plan to control fruit fly in 
West Africa Bamako, 
Mali WTO (STDF) and 
ECOWAS8 
 
 6. Geneva-based Trade Policy Courses covering, inter alia,  the SPS Agreement 
 
Date Name of course (language) Organized by 
February 2009 47th Trade Policy Course (English) WTO (ITTC) 
May 2009 48th Trade Policy Course (French) WTO (ITTC) 
 
 
7.  Regional Trade Policy Courses covering, inter alia,  the SPS Agreement 
 
Date Region Venue Organized by 
June 2009 Asia and Pacific Singapore WTO (ITTC) 
November 2009 Caribbean Jamaica WTO (ITTC) 
 
 
                                                      
5 Idem . 
6 Idem . 
7 This event is being organized by the Standards and Trade Development Fac ility (STDF).  Therefore, 
it is not included in the general WTO "Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2008-2009" (WT/COMTD/W/160) aforementioned. 
8 Idem . G/SPS/GEN/956 
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  8. Geneva-based Introduction Courses covering, inter alia,  the SPS Agreement 
 
Date Activity Organized by 
July 2009 15th Introduction Course to LDCs (Spanish) WTO (ITTC) 
September 2009 16th Introduction Course to LDCs (French) WTO (ITTC) 
 
 
9. eTraining: Online Courses 
 
Date Name of course (language) Organized by 
January-February 2009 Introduction to Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (English) WTO (ITTC) 
February–April 2009 Introduction to Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (French) WTO (ITTC) 
July–August 2009 Introduction to Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (Spanish) WTO (ITTC) 
 
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