Français

Value added by the STDF

The STDF acts as a reference point for good practice in the provision of SPS-related technical cooperation and aims to develop into a centre of excellence. It is designed to strengthen current and future co-operation efforts. The STDF provides information on good practice that can be drawn upon by potential donors and recipients and disseminates implementation lessons from recent technical co-operation efforts so furthering co-operation and collaboration among donors.

The partners in the STDF are singularly qualified to assist developing countries in dealing with relevant international standards, guidelines and recommendations for food safety, plant and animal health. The STDF brings together the standard setting organizations designated by the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) as reference bodies in the area of food safety (Codex Alimentarius Commission) and plant health (International Plant Protection Convention, IPPC), either in their own right or through the involvement of their parent organizations, i.e. the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as well as in the area of animal health and zoonoses (World Organization for Animal Health, OIE). The World Bank contributes with an analytical backing and a "development" perspective, while the World Trade Organization (WTO) brings a "trade rules" perspective. The STDF is designed to benefit from the experience and skills that each partner brings to the Facility.

The STDF does not replace or compete with either the standard setting work of OIE, IPPC and Codex or the regular technical cooperation activities of STDF partners and participating donors. STDF reinforces and complements these activities by bringing the collective expertise of the five partners, donors and recipients together in one Facility. The STDF is distinct from and complementary to other initiatives aimed at fostering increased participation by developing countries in the standard setting process such as the Codex Trust Fund and the IPPC Trust Fund. The STDF does not cover the costs of participation in standard setting activities but the expertise and capacity gained under the STDF will enhance the ability of developing country's participants to effectively contribute to the process.

The STDF aims to devote 40 per cent of Facility project grant resources to LDCs and OLIEs. To achieve this target, the STDF Secretariat will continue to build synergies with other technical co-operation trust funds managed by the WTO which aim to mainstream trade into development policy. The STDF Secretariat liaises closely with colleagues in the Enhanced Integrated Framework (IF) for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries Executive Secretariat to assist in the identification of SPS needs during the elaboration of national Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS). The STDF builds synergies with other technical co-operation programmes either of a general nature, such as the Aid for Trade Initiative, or of a more specific SPS nature, such as interventions to tackle plant pests, animal diseases such as avian influenza, or other major zoonotic diseases.

In conclusion, the STDF seeks to build on the work of bilateral, regional and multilateral donors by:

• Providing a mechanism for co-ordination and information sharing on past, present and planned activities among technical co-operation providers, the exchange of experience and the dissemination of good practice;

• Addressing underlying issues of SPS capacity building in beneficiary countries (in particular in LDCs or OLIEs or on a regional basis), ideally through preventative, innovative and/or demonstration projects which may be replicated by other donors;

• Supporting collaborative projects by STDF partners which aim inter alia to address gaps in SPS information or training materials or which aim to improve co-ordination among SPS technical co-operation providers; and

• Co-operating with STDF partners, donors and recipients in the elaboration of comprehensive, sectoral (e.g. food safety, animal or plant health specific) or product-based national strategies.
  

Site Last Updated on February, 2008