SPS COMMITTEE THEMATIC SESSION
ON SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL
TREATMENT (S&DT)
TUESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA AND ZOOM
PROGRAMME[1]
Revision
1. The SPS Committee is holding a
thematic session on special and differential treatment (S&DT).[2] This thematic session follows up
on the request made by the G90, presented by Côte d'Ivoire at the June
Committee meeting, to hold the session as soon as possible, and draws from the
experience of the TBT Committee which held a TBT Thematic Session on S&DT on 24 June.[3]
2. This thematic session will
provide an opportunity to share experiences, particularly from developing and
least-developed country Members, on the operationalization of the S&DT and
technical assistance (TA) provisions of the SPS Agreement and enhance Members'
understanding on this matter.
3. The thematic session will be
structured around the following elements:
-_
Use of S&DT rights and flexibilities under the SPS Agreement,
including relevant SPS Committee decisions and guidelines (WTO | Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures - Major decisions and reference documents). This segment may include
challenges faced and best practices identified in operationalizing these
provisions;
-_
Use of transparency-related mechanisms, including experiences with
engaging with notifications; requesting extensions of comment periods;
submitting or responding to comments;
-_
Establishment of effective domestic coordination mechanisms, including
engagement with national stakeholders and institutions;
-_
Participation of developing and least-developed country Members in the
work of the SPS Committee;
-_
Relevant capacity building activities, including priority areas,
emerging issues, common challenges, and potential gaps.
4. The thematic session will be held
in Geneva on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, from 15:00 to 18:00 (CET). It can be
attended in person or via Zoom with WTO credentials using this link. The event will also be livestreamed.[4] Interpretation will be provided
in English, French, and Spanish.
5. Information on the thematic session and presentations are available
on the event's webpage.[5]
Opening remarks – Setting the
scene (15:00-15:30)
·_
Mr
Daniel Lim, First
Secretary (Economics),
Permanent Mission of Singapore to the WTO and moderator of the thematic session
·_
Ms Maria Cosme, Chairperson of the SPS Committee
·_
H.E. Kadra Ahmed Hassan, Chairperson of the Committee on Trade and
Development, Special Session
·_
Mr Rolando
Alcalá, SPS Team, Agriculture and Commodities
Division, WTO Secretariat
Experience sharing (15:30-18:00)
The session will follow a panel discussion
format, with the moderator guiding the conversation by posing questions related
to the topics outlined in paragraph 3 above. Each speaker will respond in turn,
and a Q&A segment will follow each topic to allow for further discussion
and engagement.
·_
Ms Rujira Janaram, Policy and Plan Analyst, Chief of SPS Section, Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand
·_
Mr Viktor Rodriguez, Director of the Office of
Agricultural Trade Agreements, Ministry of Agriculture, Dominican Republic
·_
Ms Morag
Webb, Head of Science and Policy, COLEAD, European Union
·_
Ms Brenda
Joyce Kaddu Kisingiri, Senior Agricultural Inspector, Ministry of Agriculture,
Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda
·_
Mr Abdoulie
Jallow, Principal Food Inspector, Food Safety and Quality Authority,
The Gambia
·_
Mr Deepak
Jhalani, Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, India
·_
Mr N'guessan Gaston Kouassi, Head of the Phytosanitary Controls Department, Ministry
of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Crop Production,
Côte d'Ivoire
·_
Ms Marlynne Hopper, Acting Head, STDF
·_
Mr Samer
Seif El Yazal, Institute for
Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), WTO Secretariat
__________
[1] This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own
responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or to their
rights and obligations under the WTO.
[2] As announced by the Chairperson of the SPS Committee in document _ICN/SPS/15.