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WTO Seminar on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Related to the SPS Agreement

This seminar explores technical assistance and capacity building related to the SPS Agreement, focusing on trade, environment, and development. It discusses how developing countries can address constraints in responding to environmental and health requirements in external markets and how developed countries can take into account the needs of developing countries in the development of standards.

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WTO Seminar on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Related to the SPS Agreement

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  1. WTO Seminar on Technical Assistance and Capacity BuildingRelated to the SPS Agreement 5 November 2002 Rene Vossenaar UNCTAD

  2. UNCTAD Activities on standards and SPS measures • Integrated Framework • Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) • Assistance to developing countries in participation in deriving benefits from globalization and participation in MTS • Trade, Environment and Development • Science and Technology Initiative

  3. STANDARDS AND TRADE UNCTAD • Research • Trade and development effects of standards • Strengthening capacities to respond to environmental and health requirements, including SPS meausures

  4. Questions • How can Governments and private sector in developing countries address constraints in responding to environmental and health requirements in external markets? • How can developed countries take account of conditions and needs of developing countries in the development of standards? • Bilateral and multilateral aid agencies? • WTO issues?

  5. Reports • An overview paper • Regional scoping paper on South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) • Regional scoping paper on Central America (in particular Costa Rica) • Regional scoping paper on Eastern Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda) • Scoping paper on organic agriculture (Costa Rica, India and Uganda)

  6. UNCTAD Building Capacity for Improved Policy Making and Negotiation on Key Trade and Environment Issues • Policy co-ordination on trade and environment issues of key concern • Participating effectively in the WTO post-Doha work programme • Developing and implementing practical initiatives in at least one specific area • Promoting regional dialogues

  7. Regional approach • Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) • Central America/Caribbean (Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama) • South-East Asia (Bangladesh Cambodia, China, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)

  8. Focus • Issues in WTO Doha work programme • Issues emerging from earlier project Priorities • Implications of environmental requirements (para 32(i)) and SPS measures for market access • Trading opportunities for environmentally preferable products (EPPs) Agricultural sector

  9. UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF) • Environmentally Preferable Products (EPPs)t*d Framework • Policy Dialogue on Promoting Production and Trading Opportunities for Organic Agricultural Products, Brussels, hosted by the ACP secretariat on 21 and 22 February 2002 • Back-to-back meeting with WTO regional Trade and Environment Seminar • Biosafety • , Environment and Development

  10. WTO TA/CB Plan 2003 • Three regional meetings under UNCTAD/FIELD project • Three CBTF meetings for Geneva-based delegations • Two CBTF-meetings held back-to-back with WTO regional seminars on trade and environment, e.g. for Anglophone Caribbean Countries (Jamaica, November 2003) WT/COMTD/W/104/Add.1 (Trade and Environment)

  11. Expert Meeting onEnvironmental Requirements and International Trade2-4 October 2002 • Environmental and health requirements (SPS measures) • Food and fishery products • Chairman’s summary (TD/B/COM.1/EM.19/L.1 • Commission on Trade (3-7 February 2003) http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/test1/meetings/envreq.htm

  12. Expert Meeting onEnvironmental Requirements and International Trade2-4 October 2002 • Environmental and health requirements (SPS measures) • Food and fishery products • Chairman’s summary (TD/B/COM.1/EM.19/L.1 • Commission on Trade (3-7 February 2003) http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/test1/meetings/envreq.htm

  13. Science and Technology Diplomacy Initiative • issues in international trade: biotechnology and trade, managing environmental and health risks, and standard setting. • Seek close cooperation with the WTO (Agriculture and SPS), CBD (Biosafety Protocol), and FAO/WHO (Codex and its Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods derived from Biotechnology). http://www.unctad.org/stdev

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