Report prepared by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) for the Formal Meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 30 June to 1 July 2016

Strengthening of Regional Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity

SADC Secretariat participated in the Third Regional Project Technical Committee meeting of the African Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF) project held in Swakopmund, Namibia from 30 to 31 May 2016. The project is being implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Sub-Regional Office based in Harare, Zimbabwe. This meeting was attended by National Project Coordinators and FAO Focal Point Officers from seven participating member States namely: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project stakeholders in attendance included FAO Sub-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for Southern Africa (FAO REOSA), CAB International (CABI), Center for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and SADC.

The objective of the meeting was to review the project implementation progress, consider and approve annual work plans and address project implementation challenges faced by member States. The project is aimed at strengthening regional sanitary and phytosanitary capacity in order to manage the threats of food safety hazards, animal diseases and plant pests for enhanced food security and regional trade. This will be achieved through effective implementation of the provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures.

SADC Secretariat facilitated a regional workshop on development of Implementation Plans for the SADC Regional SPS Strategies that were developed with support from USAID-Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH). The strategies are aimed at strengthening the capacity of member States to effectively manage sanitary and phytosanitary risks through implementing SPS measures that are consistent with international standards and best practices. These strategies apply to all measures that may, directly or indirectly, affect regional trade in food and agro-products. The workshop was held in Pretoria, South Africa from 24 to 27 May 2016.

SADC Secretariat participated in a consultative meeting between African Regional Standardisation Organisation (ARSO) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) held in Nairobi, Kenya in April 2016. The meeting was attended by representatives from Secretariats of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), SADC and SADC Committee on Standardisation (SADCSTAN). The objective of the meeting was to contribute towards establishment of Africa's Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) through cooperation of RECs and ARSO on standards and quality infrastructure related issues in order deliver harmonized standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment regimes.

Workshop on Harmonisation of Pesticides Regulations

SADC Secretariat facilitated a workshop for Pesticides Regulators from the SADC member States to review the Regional Guidelines for Regulation of Plant Protection Products in the SADC member States. This workshop was held in Pretoria, South Africa from 15 to 16 June 2016. The objective of the review process was to align the Regional Guidelines with the revised WHO/FAO International Code of Conduct for Management of Pesticides and also to include biopesticides and biocides. The workshop was sponsored by European Union (EU) through the Regional Economic Integration Support (REIS) programme.

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Additional downloads

• 66th meeting of the SPS Committee: Communication from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), 21 June 2016

• Update on the operation of the Standards and Trade Development Facility: Note by the Secretariat, 17 June 2016

• Annual report on the Procedure to Monitor the Process of International Harmonization: Note by the Secretariat, 27 May 2016