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Regional Consultations

The STDF aims to act as a reference point for good practice in the provision of SPS-related technical co-operation. A central element of the move from a collection of projects to a programme is learning from the experience of implementation of projects, both positive and negative.

The STDF Secretariat, in collaboration with partners and donors, will examine the effectiveness of SPS-related technical co-operation. Research will be conducted on experience in the request and offer, design and receipt, and implementation of SPS-related technical co-operation on the part of both beneficiaries and donors. To facilitate this research, a series of regional consultations between donors and beneficiaries are planned. Such consultations would also aim to identify gaps in the provision of SPS-related technical co-operation from which projects could be designed.

STDF regional consultations seek to apply the same Aid for Trade approach of monitoring and evaluation of aid given and strengthening the link between "demand" and "response", by examining the supply and receipt of SPS-related technical co-operation. This research will feed into the Aid for Trade initiative and should provide valuable insights, not just with respect to the future provision of SPS-related co-operation, but with respect to the provision of technical co-operation in other specific subject areas.

Presentation of the results of STDF research on SPS "demand" and "supply" response should galvanise interest and support, both political and financial, for follow-up actions. This follow-up will take the form of further research and co-ordination between countries in each region to examine the effectiveness of past SPS-related technical co-operation activities, the identification of good practice which can be replicated in future co-operation projects or programmes and how on-going needs can be prioritized. This research will culminate in regional consultations between donors, beneficiaries and organizations engaged in the delivery of SPS-related technical co-operation.

The STDF work aims at a practical outcome: the mobilization of resources to address SPS needs. At an issue-specific level, the STDF thus aims to complement the larger Aid for Trade Initiative. It is hoped that the following impact will be generated:

• Improved capacity on the part of donors to identify and design successful SPS-related technical cooperation projects and programmes;

• Improved ability on the part of beneficiaries to survey and to prioritize their own needs and to interact with the donor community in the elaboration of proposals which will attract funding;

• Improved capability on the part of international organizations to match beneficiary needs with well-designed SPS-related technical cooperation projects and programmes; and

• Resource mobilization for SPS-related co-operation priorities identified in regions.

Three regions are presently being surveyed: Central America¹ , the East African Community (EAC)² and a sub-group of ASEAN countries³ . The intention is to repeat this exercise across other regions during the life of the STDF Medium Term Strategy (2007-2011). In addition to further regional consultations, at least one global level workshop/consultation will be organized to ensure that lessons learnt from the regional consultations can be disseminated more widely.

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¹ Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
² Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
³ Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Vietnam.

Site Last Updated on February, 2008