REPORT (2022) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES

1.1.  The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) on his own responsibility. This report provides a summary of the activities of the SPS Committee during 2022.

1.2.  The SPS Committee held its regular meetings (in hybrid mode) on 23-25 March, 22-24 June, and 9-11 November 2022. Members continued to use _eAgenda to submit agenda items, raise and support specific trade concerns (STCs), and upload statements.

1.3.  Mr Juteau Déadjufo Toussé (Cameroon) had been elected in July 2021 as Chairperson for 2021‑2022. Mr Tang-Kai Wang (Chinese Taipei) was elected as the new Chairperson for 2022-2023.

1.4.  In the first part of 2022, Members continued discussions on an SPS Declaration for the 12^th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) on Responding to modern SPS challenges, initially submitted by Brazil, Canada, and the United States.^[1] Members' efforts led to the successful adoption of the MC12 SPS Declaration, instructing the SPS Committee to carry out a work programme to enhance the implementation of the SPS Agreement in an effort to better manage issues related to international trade in food, animals, and plants.^[2]

1.5.  Following adoption at MC12, the SPS Committee launched the work programme foreseen in the MC12 SPS Declaration.^[3] Five thematic groups, led by (co)stewards, were set-up to suggest ideas or submit proposals for discussion in the SPS Committee, each focusing on one of the themes from the MC12 SPS Declaration, namely: (1) how to facilitate global food security and more sustainable food systems; (2) how to support basing SPS measures on scientific evidence and principles; (3) how to enhance the safe international trade in food, animals and plants and products thereof through the adaptation of SPS measures to regional conditions; (4) how to encourage cooperation with observer organizations that support the work of the SPS Committee and the international standard-setting bodies (ISSBs); and (5) how to increase participation of and support for the special needs of developing and least developed country Members in the development and application of SPS measures. On 4 October 2022, the SPS Committee held intersessional consultations to take stock of the initial work of these thematic groups, followed by discussions in the November 2022 SPS informal Committee meeting. Based on these discussions, a proposed process for the work programme was adopted.^[4]