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National Node of the BCH
Capacity Building Activities, Projects and Opportunities
Record information and status
Record ID
8453
Status
Published
Date of creation
2005-04-29 10:33 UTC (leeann.jackson@wto.org)
Date of last update
2010-01-19 11:46 UTC (intern.ross.carroll@cbd.int)
Date of publication
2010-01-19 11:46 UTC (intern.ross.carroll@cbd.int)

General information
Title of the initiative
Summary of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Technical Assistance and Training Activities
Contact person
World Trade Organization
Agriculture and Commodities Division
154 Rue de Lausanne
Genève
Suisse, 1211
Phone:+41 22 739 5111
Url:www.wto.org
Beneficiary country(ies)
  • All Regions
Type of initiative
Main target group(s) / beneficiaries
  • Target group: WTO Members
Start Date
1994-09-01
Ending date
2004-08-31
Donor(s) information
Agency(ies) or Organization(s) implementing or sponsoring the initiative (Additional Information)
  • Organization: World Trade Organization
  • Type of Organization: International Organization
Activity details
Description of the initiative
The main objective of SPS technical assistance and training activities undertaken by the WTO Secretariat is to increase participants' awareness of their rights and obligations under the SPS Agreement and its implications for national policymaking.

SPS technical assistance and training activities typically include presentations on the basic provisions of the SPS Agreement, including the transparency provisions on implementation problems and specific trade concerns, as well as on WTO dispute settlement.  There may also be specific focus on issues such as risk analysis and equivalence.  Regional training activities also include presentations of the work undertaken by the three standard-setting organizations referenced in the SPS Agreement (Codex, OIE and IPPC).  The programme and presentations of these technical assistance activities are adapted to take into account the level of familiarity with the SPS Agreement of the participants, the level of development of the countries, and any specific concerns relating to the implementation of the Agreement in order to meet and respond to individual national/regional needs.
Objective and main expected outcomes or lesson learned
Objectives
To provide a summary of the technical assistance and training activities undertaken by the WTO Secretariat related to the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary(SPS) measures.

Main outcomes
In the period 1 September 1994 to 31 August 2004, 104 SPS technical assistance and training activities have been undertaken.  The number of SPS technical assistance activities has increased significantly over time.  Since 2002, over 20 technical assistance activities have been undertaken per year.  In the past five years, technical assistance delivered by the WTO has become more structured.
General thematic area(s)
  • Institutional capacity
  • Human resources capacity development and training
  • Risk assessment and other scientific and technical expertise
Additional Information
Other relevant website address or attached documents