TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Submission by the United States of america

Addendum

The following communication, dated 4 November 2024, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the United States of America.

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1  Introduction

1.1.  In 1999, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) initiated a process to gather information on technical assistance that Members have requested, received, or provided in support of the implementation of the SPS Agreement since it came into force on 1 January 1995 (see _G/SPS/W/101). In response to this interest, the United States (_G/SPS/GEN/181 and addenda) as well as other donors, including Canada (_G/SPS/GEN/1426), the European Union (_G/SPS/GEN/1139 and addenda), and Japan (_G/SPS/GEN/1160 and addenda), have submitted periodic reporting on technical assistance provided in support of implementation of the SPS Agreement. This submission marks the seventeenth such submission by the United States.

1.2.  The compilation of US technical assistance provided to developing countries and newly acceding countries in this report shows the assistance between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022. In this report, the United States provides details on technical assistance projects in the fields of food safety, animal health, plant health, and agricultural biotechnology collectively valued at more than USD 15 million. Forms of assistance include regional trade capacity building workshops, hands-on training programs, fellowships and exchanges, and site visits to US research and academic institutions.

1.3.  This reporting period demonstrated our commitment to meeting the evolving technical assistance needs of developing and least developed countries. We have invested resources and adapted activities to support new challenges to the application of the SPS Agreement, including supporting the use of new technologies and IT tools to catalyze and expand collaboration. We continue to promote the use of freely accessible online resources, including a suite of free online SPS distance-learning courses at http://www.spscourses.com/. Global usership has reached more than 16,000 individuals in more than 240 countries.

1.4.  The United States continues to value the provision of technical assistance in support of implementation of the SPS Agreement. This is a timely topic as the Committee undertakes the Sixth Review of the SPS Agreement.

1.5.  US technical assistance programs assist developing countries, least developing countries, and newly acceding countries in developing and implementing effective, transparent, and science-based regulatory systems to protect human, animal, and plant health while facilitating trade in agricultural products. These programs seek to foster a clear understanding of key SPS provisions in international and bilateral trade agreements. The United States continues to develop and implement demand-driven assistance within a framework of mutual respect and accountability which, from our experience, provides the strongest framework for delivering enduring results.

1.6.  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) implements many of these technical assistance activities in partnership with other US Government agencies, international organizations, US universities, agri-businesses, and private consultants. This report includes a list of the key US Government agencies involved in the provision of technical assistance to developing countries, least developing countries, and newly acceding countries, as well as a list of representative activities conducted in the specified reporting period. The lists are not exhaustive.