The following communication, received on 15 October 2025, is being circulated at the request of IICA.

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The observer organizations of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) are invited to submit reports on the activities they have carried out to promote the understanding and implementation of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). IICA would like to present some of the actions and activities that it considers relevant to the work of this Committee.

1  SUPPORT FOR MULTILATERAL FORa ASSOCIATED WITH SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES

1.1  Codex Alimentarius Colloquia

1.1.  IICA, in collaboration with the United States Codex Office, the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC), continues to support its member countries in their active participation in the Codex Alimentarius. In these colloquiums, countries discuss and exchange opinions on the various agenda items of each of the official Codex Alimentarius Committees. These meetings motivate and support developing countries to enhance their active participation both individually and regionally. Since July 2025, IICA supported the organization of three CCLAC regional coordination meetings:

-_           8^th Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs: (CCSCH - 30 participants);

-_           56^th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues: (CCPR - 80 participants);

-_           88^th Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission: (CAC - 33 participants).

1.2.  Within the framework of the Codex Initiative for the Americas and the support of the US Codex Office, IICA supported the attendance of country delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean to the following committee meetings:

-_        Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius (CCEXEC - two country delegates);

-_        Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR - seven country delegates);

-_        Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary herbs (CCSCH - two country delegates).

1.3.  These events/activities provided an opportunity for delegates from the CCLAC Region and the United States to analyse issues of common interest and develop regional participation strategies prior to those Codex Committee meetings.

1.2  Strategy Session on the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Guidelines

1.4.  Aiming at improving coordination and promoting the development of harmonized comments on the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code chapters, IICA, in partnership with the USDA, hosted in June 2025 another virtual edition of the Strategy Sessions on WOAH Guidelines. 32 National Officers from 16 countries attended the Session. Matters related to Glossary Seroconversion, Compartmentalisation, the Work Programme and the Americas' proposals to the Terrestrial Animal Health Code were discussed.

1.3  Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) Harmonization Panel

1.5.  Along with the 56th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR56 - Santiago, Chile, September 2025), IICA organized the side event "Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) Harmonization Panel" in partnership with CropLife. The event successfully brought together around 100 international delegates, regulators, industry representatives, and agri-food stakeholders to address one of the most critical challenges in international trade: the disparities in pesticide residue regulations among different regions of the world.

1.6.  During the event, producers and international organizations supported the broad implementation of Codex Alimentarius MRLs and science-based regulatory harmonization as essential to prevent unjustified technical barriers, reduce trade distortions, and provide greater predictability to producers, thereby generating competitive advantages and facilitating access to international markets.

1.4  Caribbean Week of Agriculture - Codex Capacity Building Activities

1.7.  As part of its commitment to strengthening food safety and Codex institutional frameworks in the Caribbean region, IICA, with the support of the United States Codex Office, organized this month two key capacity building activities during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture: i) Awareness Session for Decision Makers; and ii) Technical Session for Codex Focal Points and National Experts.

1.8.  The activities brought together 14 Codex Focal Points from across the region, along with government representatives, private-sector stakeholders, and academic experts, who participated both in person (35 participants) and virtually (50 participants). Within the framework of these sessions, IICA reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Caribbean countries in strengthening their technical and institutional capacities to fully leverage the opportunities offered by the Codex Alimentarius.

1.5  2025 Regional IPPC Workshop

1.9.  The workshop served as a technical and collaborative forum for Latin American countries to strengthen their participation in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and ensured that their contributions are aligned with the WTO SPS Agreement. Together with the IPPC secretariat and the Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs), IICA acted as co-organizer, providing both technical and logistical support for the preparation and execution of the activity.

1.10.  Discussions focused on International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and their draft annexes, as well as on implementation processes and other strategic topics such as climate change, One Health, e-commerce, sea containers, and TR4 management. The event encouraged the development of regional positions for the upcoming Convention of Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) and facilitated the exchange of practical experiences in phytosanitary management among Representatives from 16 Latin American countries and Regional International Organizations.

2  OTHER ACTIVITIES

2.1  European Union Regional Food Security Programme for the Caribbean: Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Action "Addressing SPS Barriers to Agricultural and Fishery Trade in the Caribbean"

2.1.1  Capacity Strengthening of Public Sector to Support Food Safety Compliance by Private Sector

2.1.  Towards gaining an understanding of the status of food safety control systems in the region, the IICA/PAHO Food Safety Performance, Vision and Strategy (PVS) tool which evaluates a series of critical competencies that are defined as being fundamental for an efficient food control service is being applied in seven Caribbean countries (Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago). Specifically, the tool assists with determining the performance level of the national food safety control system and set investment priorities in collaboration with the private sector. The project is being implemented with the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and capacity building activities to address some of the key gaps are being identified and implemented.

2.2  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/IICA "Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels" Project

2.2.1  Assessment of the Impact of Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) on the Marketing and Trade of Agricultural Produce in the Caribbean

2.2.  The study "Impact of Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) on the Marketing and Trade of Agricultural Produce in the Caribbean" was conducted to determine the issues facing CARICOM countries as it relates to compliance with pesticide MRLs and possible solutions to mitigate the challenges identified. The study was conducted in six countries – Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname. The results of the study are being presented to Pesticide Control Boards and other relevant stakeholders along the pesticide management chain.

2.2.2  Pesticide Management Workshop for Producers and Extension Officers

2.3.  A capacity building workshop was held to increase the knowledge and skills of producers from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in pesticide management for the production and export of taro. The workshop covered basic information on pesticide management and monitoring, MRLs as well as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Over 40 farmers attended. Information products in the areas covered under the training are being developed for dissemination to stakeholders across the region.

2.3  Surveillance and response to African swine fever in the Caribbean, Central America, and the Andean regions

2.4.  In partnership with the USDA, IICA has been supporting the development of African Swine Fever (ASF) surveillance plans in the Caribbean, Central America, and the Andean regions.

2.5.  Based on active surveillance, samples obtained from swine operations are tested by official reference laboratory. Sampling was carried out on swine operations in Suriname and Curaçao, and virtual collaboration is underway for the development of the ASF surveillance plan. The same is planned for October with Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat.

2.4  Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Project

2.6.  In partnership with the USDA, IICA has been developing integrated antimicrobial resistance surveillance plans throughout the agri-food chain in Latin America and the Caribbean. The integrated surveillance programme for antimicrobial resistance in the agri-food chain in Colombia was officially launched. The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (INVIMA), and the National Institute of Health (INS) worked together with IICA in the development of this programme.

2.5  IICA – USDA Activities Against New World Screwworm in Mesoamerica

2.7.  During the third quarter of 2025, activities in Mesoamerica focused primarily on capacity building, communication, and technical cooperation to combat New World Screwworm and associated challenges. Regional coordination and grassroots outreach through workshops, webinars, and communication campaigns were successfully implemented at the regional level:

-_        GBG Regional Training of Trainers Workshop (Panama - August 2025) gathering 45 participants. This event, organized jointly with COPEG, FAO, and OIRSA, provided a comprehensive training package including agendas, digital materials, and social media links for broader dissemination;

-_        Virtual workshop on the New World Screwworm (August 2025) reaching 293 participants from diverse sectors through an online platform. This event, led by FONTAGRO and IICA, emphasized inter-institutional cooperation and scientific exchange;

-_        Regional Webinar "Comprehensive Approach to One Health in the Fight Against Myiasis due to GBG" (México/Hybrid - September 2025) had a reach of 2,130 participants across multiple digital platforms. Organized with partners such as USDA, PAHO, and SENASICA, the webinar reinforced regional strategies for integrated disease management and communication.

2.8.  During the third quarter of 2025, a total of 239 workshops, courses, and talks were implemented, engaging 10,019 participants. These were complemented by the distribution of 76,753 information and outreach materials, underscoring the scale of knowledge transfer and awareness-raising initiatives. Media engagement was significant, with 2,981 radio and television advertisements broadcast across Belize, Guatemala, Panama, and Honduras, achieving millions of cumulative auditory impressions.

2.9.  Social media and public presence were key components of the communication strategy. Over 1 million views (1,093,149) were reported across Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, based on 613 published posts. In addition, participation in 33 fairs, field days, and mass events allowed for direct interaction with the public and the distribution of educational resources. Collectively, these efforts highlight an active and multidimensional approach to regional coordination, public education, and technical collaboration to strengthen agricultural health and biosecurity in the Americas.

2.6  Digitalization and Update of PVS Tools

2.10.  IICA developed the digital version for the application of the Performance, Vision and Strategy (PVS) tools through a web-based platform, which hosts the most recent updated versions of the instruments. This innovation replaces paper-based processes, streamlines data processing, and generates automatic real-time results, thereby facilitating the characterization of official services and strengthening strategic decision-making.

2.11.  The development of the digital version of IICA PVSs involved:

-_        The development of the digital platform in two stages, with more than 50 virtual technical sessions conducted in collaboration with a consulting firm;

-_        Training of IICA specialists in the use of the tool and alignment with the PVS manuals to ensure technical consistency;

-_        Implementation of an agile methodology (scrum) that ensured systematic product delivery and efficient use of resources;

-_        More information on: https://dve.iica.int.

2.7  STDF Project (STDF/PG/753) – "Reduction of pesticide residues in Latin America through the use of biopesticides"

2.12.  In recent months, the project has focused on finalizing field trials and prioritized laboratory analyses in participating countries. These tests will measure the efficacy of the biopesticides used, decline tests will be carried out for the chemical pesticides used and the quality of the harvested products to measure their impact on the market.

2.13.  Within the framework of the Project STDF/PG/753, IICA held an event in July, in Brazil, focused on the process of prioritizing minor uses for Latin American countries. Delegates from 15 countries and two integration organizations (Andean Community of Nations and Central American Agricultural Council) participated. The event was held together with the Minor Uses Foundation (FUM) and the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA). The activity had the following objectives:

-_        Promoting the process of prioritization of the Foundation for Minor Uses in Latin America;

-_        Fostering an exchange of experiences between the public and private sectors regarding new alternatives for phytosanitary control from a minor-use perspective;

-_        Promoting the issue of minor uses within the framework of regional integration organizations;

-_        Sharing new regulatory trends and challenges for phytosanitary control for minor crops.

2.14.  Currently, a soft skills course for approximately 60 technicians linked to minor uses is under implementation. This course aims to strengthen the capacities of technicians to influence national policies on minor uses, promote the creation of national programmes of minor uses and generate a better and greater environment at the national level on minor crops.

For further information, please contact IICA AHFS manager, Dr. José H. Urdaz (jose.urdaz@iica.int).

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

Agricultural Health Safety and Agrifood Quality Program (AHFS)

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