Workshop on Risk Analysis

10:00 — 10:30

Workshop overview and objectives

This session will provide an overview of the workshop and its objectives. In addition, this session will briefly review the previous information session on risk analysis held by the SPS Committee in 2000 highlighting the main outcomes.

Speakers:

• Ms Gretchen H. Stanton, Senior Counsellor, WTO Secretariat
  Overview of the workshop and its objectives

• Mr Robert Griffin, National Coordinator for Agricultural Quarantine Inspection
  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, United States
  Main outcomes from the 2000 workshop: Areas that merit further exploration 14 years later
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

10:30 — 11:30

Session 1: The SPS Agreement and Risk Analysis

Part 1: Conceptual approach — What the SPS Agreement says

Presentation from the Secretariat on Members’ obligations as they relate to risk analysis under the provisions of Article 5 of the SPS Agreement.

Speaker:

• Ms Gretchen H. Stanton,Senior Counsellor, WTO Secretariat

Part 2: Practical approach — Lessons Learned from Dispute Settlement

This session will provide a summary of the outcomes of dispute settlement cases as they relate to risk analysis. Particular focus will be placed on issues related to risk analysis that have been raised in WTO dispute settlement cases and the relevant findings.

Speaker:

• Ms Christiane Wolff, Secretary of the SPS Committee, WTO Secretariat

> Presentation
Audio

11:30 — 13:00

Session 2: SPS Risk Analysis in the Current Age

Part 1: This session will focus on defining risk assessment by today’s standards using scientific experts with specific examples from various sectors, and discuss responding to challenges such as dealing with uncertainty, data availability, and qualitative vs. quantitative risk assessment.

Moderator:

• Mr Richard Ivess, New Zealand

Speakers:

• Dr Djien Liem, Lead Expert in International Scientific Cooperation
  Advisory Forum and Scientific Cooperation Unit, European Food Safety Authority
  Risk assessment methodologies in various sectors and how to respond to challenges ahead
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Dr Amelia Tejada, Pesticide Residue Expert, Pesticide Policy and Technical Advisory Committee
  Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Department of Agriculture, Philippines
  Risk assessment and risk management: A Philippine experience on pesticides for food safety
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Part 2: This session will discuss risk management using specific examples such as implementation of HACCP in several sectors.

Speakers:

• Mr Robert Griffin,National Coordinator for Agricultural Quarantine Inspection
  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, United States US examples of risk management
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Mr Peter May, General Manager
  Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
  The use of HACCP in a risk-based food safety management system — the Australian experience
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

15:00 — 15:45

Session 2: SPS Risk Analysis in the Current Age (cont’d)

Part 3: Round table Q&A session with the experts from this session to answer questions specific to risk analysis.

Moderator:

• Mr Richard Ivess, New Zealand

Speakers:

• Dr Djien Liem, European Union

• Dr Amelia Tejada, Philippines

• Mr Robert Griffin, United States

• Mr Peter May, Australia

Audio

15:45 — 16:45

Session 3: International Standards and Guidelines for Performing Risk Analysis

In this session, representatives from each of the three international standard-setting bodies, Codex, IPPC and OIE, will discuss efforts to strengthen the guidelines, address gaps, and ensure these guidelines are understood and followed by Members. This session will be followed by Q&A.

Moderator:

• Ms Ella Strickland, European Union

Part 1: Codex Alimentarius (Codex)

Speaker:

• Philippe Verger, WHO
  Risk analysis in Codex
  > Presentation

Part 2: International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

Speaker:

• Ms Ana Peralta, IPPC Capacity Building Officer
  > Presentation

Part 3: World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)

Speaker:

• Dr Derek Belton, Head of the International Trade Department, OIE
  OIE approach to risk analysis

Audio

Session 4: Members Discuss Their Risk Management Experiences

Through the use of case studies, speakers in this session will explain their experience with making risk management decisions in the SPS realm, how those decisions are related to risk assessments they have undertaken and how practical experiences with risk mitigation can improve risk management decisions. In addition, speakers will address the extent to which the objective of minimizing negative trade effects is taken into account when determining the appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection. This session will be followed by a question and answer period.

Part 1: Developing country perspective

Speakers:

• Dr Mpho Maja, Director of Animal Health
  Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
  Risk management decisions: South Africa’s experience, including references to imports of pork
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Mr Kenrick Witty, Plant Health Officer
  Plant Health Department, Agricultural Health Authority, Belize
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

Closing remarks and wrap-up of day 1

Speaker:WTO Secretariat

10:00 — 10:15

Opening Remarks

10:15 — 11:15

Session 4: Members Discuss Their Risk Management Experiences (cont’d)

Through the use of case studies, speakers in this session will explain their experience with making risk management decisions in the SPS realm, how those decisions are related to risk assessments they have undertaken and how practical experiences with risk mitigation can improve risk management decisions. In addition, speakers will address the extent to which the objective of minimizing negative trade effects is taken into account when determining the appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection. This session will be followed by a question and answer period.

Moderator:

• Mr Gonzalo Rios, Chile

Part 2: Developed country perspective

Speakers:

• Mr Frans Verstraete
  European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Consumers
  Risk management of contaminants in the EU. A policy based on risk analysis
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Dr Kerry Dearfield, Chief Scientist Food Safety & Inspection Service
  Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Health Science, United States
  Risk management from a US perspective
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

11:15 — 12:00

Session 5: Experience of International and Regional Organizations

Moderator:

• Ms Gretchen H. Stanton, Senior Counsellor, WTO Secretariat

Part 1: International Level — International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Speaker from ILRI will discuss outcomes related to risk assessment, risk management and risk communication of various workshops organized at the international and regional levels since 2000 on the implementation of the SPS Agreement.

Speaker:

• Dr Delia Grace, ILRI Program Leader Food Safety and Zoonoses
  Experiences with capacity building for risk analysis in Africa and Asia with a focus on domestic markets and regional trade
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Part 2: Regional Level — Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

Speaker from IICA will discuss regional initiatives related to risk assessment, r isk management and risk communication.

Speaker:

• Dr Robert Ahern, Head of the IICA Agricultural Health and Food Safety Programme
  Risk analysis in the Americas: Successes, challenges, and opportunities
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

Session 6: Leveraging Resources for Risk Assessments — Ways to Address Resource Constraints

This session will explore new ways that Members can meet their WTO obligation in relation to risk assessment and basing their measures on science, in light of limited financial and human resources. Topics will include Members sharing experiences with having risk assessments drafted by parties other than the importing country (e.g., the exporting country or a third party) and sharing data with other Members who have received similar market access requests. Members will also share their experiences in coordinating efforts and resources across the public and private sector. This session will be followed by a question and answer period.

Moderator:

• Ms Lillian Bwalya, Chair of the SPS Committee

Speakers:

• Mr Sidney Suma, Developing Country Expert, Standards Trade and Development Facility Consultant, Papua New Guinea
  Experiences of Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island countries in leveraging resources for risk assessments
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Mr Guilherme Antônio da Costa Júnior, Food Safety Expert
  Department of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Negotiations, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Brazil
  Leveraging resources for risk assessments: The Brazilian experience
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

13:00 — 15:00

Lunch break

15:00 — 17:00

Session 7: Members Discuss their Risk Communication Experiences

During this session Members will share their experiences in important elements of risk communication with particular focus on practical examples. Each speaker will tackle an aspect of risk communication, followed by brief discussion among Members.

Moderator:

• Ms Maria Albarece, Philippines

Speakers:

• Dr Mpho Maja, Director of Animal Health
  Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
  Risk communication: South Africa’s approach
  > Presentation
  > Summary

• Dr Mohamed Refaat Rasmy, Head of Central Administration of Plant Quarantine
  Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt
  Risk analysis experience in Egypt with a focus on communication

Part 2: Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages, including communicating uncertainty and leveraging new communication tools (social media etc.).

Speaker:

• Dr Antoon Opperhuizen,Head of Laboratory for Health Protection Research Bureau
  Risk Assessment and Research Programming, Netherlands
  New approaches on risk communication
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Part 3: Targeting communication — who are the audiences, what do they need/want to hear, and when to communicate it?

Speaker:

• Mr Guilherme Antônio da Costa Júnior, Food Safety Expert
  Department of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Negotiations, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Brazil
  Targeting risk communication: The Brazilian experience
  > Presentation
  > Summary

Audio

Session 8: Outcomes and Next Steps

This session will be mainly devoted to Q&A. Speakers will identify a few key outcomes of the sessions and Members will discuss what, if any, follow up steps are warranted, including the possible organization of a separate event or workshop focusing on particular elements of risk analysis.

Moderator:

• Ms Christiane Wolff, WTO Secretariat

Speakers:

  Developing country representative

• Dr Amelia Tejada, Pesticide Residue Expert, Pesticide Policy and Technical Advisory Committee
  Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Department of Agriculture, Philippines

  Developed country representative

• Mr Robert Griffin,National Coordinator for Agricultural Quarantine Inspection
  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, United States

Audio