Kampala,

Uganda,

28-29 May 2008

          As part of the Aid for Trade: Focus Africa event, the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) held a workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 30 September 2007 focusing on issues related to the mobilisation of capacity building resources in the area of food safety, animal and plant health (collectively known as sanitary and phytosanitary or SPS measures).  That meeting focused on SPS needs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

One strong conclusion emerging from the meeting was that:  "Standards are a passport for trade.  The ability to control sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) risk and meet international standards is a key element determining participation of developing countries in the trading system."

The aim of this follow-up event, hosted jointly by the Government of Uganda, the STDF and the Integrated Framework is to turn the conclusions arising from this first event into tangible outcomes.  More specifically, the event will aim to reach agreement on the following:

• "Balance sheets" of needs and technical assistance on-going or planned in the area of SPS related technical co-operation. The balance sheets make use of existing capacity evaluations in this area and interviews with donors. As such they are an important tool for co-ordination in this area,

• Identification of priority action area in SPS related technical assistance not met through current or planned assistance (gap analysis), and

• Agree ways to address these outstanding needs through future SPS related assistance.

The overall aim will be to clearly identify ways in which SPS priority needs can be addressed by donors, international organizations offering technical assistance in the SPS area or through the STDF itself.  The workshop will also look at the conclusions which can be drawn from this process for the other two members of the East African Community: Rwanda and Burundi.

Workshop documents

a) Final agenda

b) SPS Balance Sheet for Kenya

c) SPS Balance Sheet for Tanzania

d) SPS Balance Sheet for Uganda

e) Outstanding Priority SPS Action Areas-Kenya

f)  Outstanding Priority SPS Action Areas-Tanzania

g) Outstanding Priority SPS Action Areas-Uganda

h) Outstanding Priority SPS Action Areas-Regional

i)  Needs and priorities presentation.pps

j)  Overview of assistance presentation.pps

k) Final conclusions.doc

Background documents

a) Conclusions and Recommendations - Dar es Salaam

b) Summary report of the meeting - Dar es Salaam

c) Synthesis of SPS evaluations (S. Henson)

d) Overview of assistance (P. Brattinga)