DG Okonjo-Iweala noted that through this new programme, participants will be assisted in better implementing and benefiting from the WTO's regulatory transparency framework, highlighting the importance of putting WTO rules and recommendations on transparency into action. DG Okonjo-Iweala encouraged participants to be “agents of change.”

“We expect that when you go back home, it will not be business as usual,” added DG Okonjo-Iweala, encouraging participants to enhance the visibility of SPS and TBT regulations and the use of WTO digital tools, in particular the ePing SPS&TBT Platform, launched this year.

The platform, developed in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), facilitates the notification of regulations and information sharing within and across countries. Timely access to new and changed product requirements is essential to give exporters a chance to comply with regulations and gain or maintain market access.

More than 5,700 SPS and TBT notifications were submitted to the WTO by members in 2021, accounting for over 75% of total notifications.

From 3 to 7 October 2022, 18 African government officials from SPS national notification authorities and enquiry points took part in the SPS Transparency Champions Course, enhancing their understanding of the transparency provisions of the SPS Agreement through training received at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. Following the course, the participants are expected to develop and implement an action plan to improve the transparency framework in their countries, with periodic monitoring by the WTO Secretariat and other experts.

The SPS Transparency Champions Course is organized by the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) section of the WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division, in collaboration with the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation.

The course featured lectures, interactive activities, group exercises, practical training, and discussions on SPS transparency issues. Experts from the Codex Alimentarius, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), as well as other international, national and regional representatives participated in the course.

List of participants for the SPS Transparency Champions Course: