UPDATE ON THE STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY (STDF)

Note by the Secretariat[1]

1  INTRODUCTION

1.1.  The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership that promotes improved food safety, animal and plant health capacity in developing countries to help meet SPS requirements, based on international standards.[2] The STDF provides funding for the development and implementation of innovative projects, develops knowledge and good practices on cross-cutting SPS topics, and facilitates dialogue and learning on SPS capacity development through the Working Group and Practitioner Groups. The next meeting of the STDF Working Group is scheduled on 24‑25 June 2025 and will be chaired by Ms Marie-Luise Rau from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) of Germany.

1.2.  A new STDF Strategy "Facilitating Safe Trade to Meet the Global Goals" for the period 2025 to 2030 was finalized in December 2024, following extensive engagement with STDF founding partners, donors, developing country experts and other members. The Strategy builds on STDF’s track record and the findings of the last external STDF programme evaluation (May 2024) and recommendations approved by the STDF Policy Committee. It maintains STDF's focus on safe trade facilitation and support to meet international standards (Codex, IPPC and WOAH), based on the WTO SPS Agreement. The Strategy is undergoing design and will be available on the STDF website shortly.

1.3.  This document provides a brief update on STDF's work, including projects. SPS delegates are encouraged to visit the STDF website to learn more about STDF's work, access and use STDF knowledge products and publications, and subscribe to STDF's monthly newsletter here.

2  STDF MARKS 20 YEARS OF SAFE TRADE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2.1.  In 2024, the STDF celebrated its 20^th anniversary. To mark this milestone, a special publication was released, showcasing results over the past two decades from selected projects and project preparation grants within STDF’s portfolio, as well as highlights from STDF's global platform and knowledge work. For 20 years, the STDF has been at the forefront of funding innovative, collaborative sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) projects to facilitate safe trade across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The STDF has also developed a wealth of knowledge resources that have significantly shaped the understanding and advancement of SPS‑related work on topics from gender and environment mainstreaming to public-private partnerships and e-SPS certification.

3  UPCOMING AND RECENT events

3.1.  On 20 March 2025 at 1 PM, the STDF will organize a side event at WTO on the margins of the SPS Committee. Through the lens of an STDF regional biopesticides project in Southern Africa, this event will unpack the approach at the heart of STDF's new Strategy for 2025-2030, and its theory of change, and show how developing countries can benefit more from STDF's support and good practices. More information on this hybrid event, including how to register to attend via Zoom, is available on the STDF Event webpage.

3.2.  In April 2025, the STDF will organize a Webinar on Establishing and Maintaining Pest-Free Areas and Areas of Low Pest Prevalence: Best practices and success stories. This event will delve into the experiences and lessons from an STDF-funded project that established and maintained fruit fly-free areas in Southern Africa (STDF/PG/567), with insights from STDF partners. More information will be available on the STDF News & Events webpage.

3.3.  In May 2025, the STDF will organize a Webinar on Strengthening Pest Control in Wood Packaging for Safer Global Trade. This event will showcase good practices and lessons from an STDF‑funded project that supported the implementation of ISPM 15 in Africa. It will review the project's lasting impact, ongoing challenges and solutions for improving pest management in wood packaging. The webinar will also highlight successful examples of implementation of ISPM 15. More information will be available on the STDF News & Events webpage.

3.4.  On 26 and 27 November 2024, the STDF, the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) and the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) jointly organized the 4th Regional meeting of ALADI Members' National Trade Facilitation Committees on the topic of digitalization and interoperability for trade facilitation. The event raised awareness on digital tools and approaches to facilitate safe trade, and shared experiences and lessons from the region on interoperability, e‑SPS certification and related topics. A joint STDF/TFAF Briefing Note is under finalization and will be shared via the STDF Briefings webpage.

4  knowledge work

4.1.  The STDF identifies and promotes good practice across all its activities and projects to improve SPS capacity development outcomes. This includes work on topics that cut across the areas of food safety, animal and plant health, and trade, such as public private partnerships to strengthen SPS capacity, the use of good regulatory practices to ensure SPS measures are "fit for purpose", the use of evidence-based approaches to inform SPS decision-making, environment and climate change, gender mainstreaming and a focus on Digitalization and eCert to simplify SPS certification and enhance trade efficiency. Outputs include practical and user-friendly knowledge products (briefing notes, publications, events, videos, etc.) that can be accessed on STDF's website.

5  FUNDING

5.1.  The STDF provides funding for the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative SPS projects. Since its inception, the STDF has devoted 59% of its project resources to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Of all STDF funding, 42% of resources have benefited Africa, 27% the Asia-Pacific region and 22% the Latin America-Caribbean region, while 8% are classified as global, benefiting all developing countries. An overview of all ongoing project and project preparation grants (PPGs) is provided in Annex 1.

5.1  Project development

5.2.  Project preparation grants (PPGs), normally up to US$50,000, are available to help beneficiaries articulate their SPS needs and develop technically sound and sustainable project proposals. PPGs can be requested to: (i) apply SPS capacity evaluation and prioritization tools; (ii) prepare feasibility studies before project development to assess the potential impact and economic viability of proposals in terms of costs and benefits; and (iii) develop project proposals for funding by STDF or other donors. Information on all STDF PPGs is available on the STDF website.

5.2  Project implementation

5.3.  The STDF also funds projects that promote compliance with international standards and requirements to facilitate safe trade. Preference is given to projects that: (i) identify, develop and disseminate good practice in SPS technical cooperation, including innovative and replicable approaches; (ii) apply regional and cross-cutting approaches to address SPS constraints; and (iii) implement collaborative approaches across food safety, animal and plant health, and trade. Beneficiaries must contribute to STDF projects from their own resources, either in the form of financial or in-kind contributions (such as staff time, use of premises, vehicles or other existing assets). Information on all STDF projects is available on the STDF website.

5.3  How to apply for funding?

5.4.  Applications for STDF funding can be made at any point in the year but should be received at least 60 working days in advance of each Working Group meeting to be considered at that meeting. The next deadline (to be announced on the STDF website in due course) will be in August for applications to be considered in November 2025. Further information is available on the STDF website.