sanitary & phytosanitary measures

Workshop on Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Risk Communication

A Workshop on Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and Risk Communication was held on 12 and 13 July 2021. The event was accessible on Zoom, with interpretation in English, French and Spanish. With over 1,000 registered participants, the workshop brought together a variety of speakers from the public and private sector, academia, international standard-setting bodies, and other international organizations for an in-depth discussion on all aspects of SPS risk analysis.

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The programme was circulated in document G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2, based on a proposal submitted by Canada in the context of the Fifth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement (G/SPS/GEN/1769 and G/SPS/GEN/1769/Rev.1).

The report is contained in Annex B of document G/SPS/R/102 and in document G/SPS/R/103.

Monday 12 July 2021
MORNING SESSION (10:00 — 13:00 CET)



1. OPENING SESSION

1.1 Opening remarks

Opening remarks and overview of the workshop and its objectives. This session also looked at basic concepts of risk analysis in the SPS Agreement.

Speaker: Mr Gregory MacDonald, Chairperson of the SPS Committee

Video clip: Risk analysis in the SPS Agreement, a few introductory remarks
Video

  • Mr Robert Griffin, Consultant, Former National Coordinator for Agriculture Quarantine Inspection and Former Director of Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Former Coordinator for IPPC
  • Ms Gretchen Stanton, Consultant, Former Secretary of the WTO SPS Committee and Former Chairperson of the Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures during the Uruguay Round negotiations

1.2 What the SPS Agreement says about risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication

Overview of the provisions of the SPS Agreement, Committee guidance and relevant dispute settlement reports as they relate to risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication.

Speaker: Ms Camille Fléchet, WTO Secretariat, Dispute Settlement Lawyer. Risk analysis in the SPS Agreement, an overview
Presentation

2. RISK ASSESSMENT

Exploring the concept of risk and how to operationalize risk assessment from a trade policy perspective. Sharing of experiences on building technical capacities in risk assessment, including available training tools to help participants understand and manage some of the challenges associated with risk assessment, such as obtaining and analyzing information required for conducting a risk assessment.

2.1 Roundtable — Relevant international standards and other international tools

Providing an overview of relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations and other international tools relating to risk assessment, as well as sharing of capacity building tools.

Moderator: Ms Marlynne Hopper, Deputy Head, Secretariat of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)

Speakers:

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

2.2 Roundtable — Member perspectives

Exploring and discussing Member perspectives and experiences related to risk assessment, including elements such as hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, consequence assessment, and risk characterization, and related issues concerning the implementation of relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement. Sharing of experiences related to building capacity and tools available to help countries strengthen their technical capacities in risk assessment.

Moderator: Ms Lucy Namu, Senior Principal Analytical Chemist, Trade and Standards Office, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service

Speakers:

  • Ms Anastasia Alvizou, Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General Health and Food Safety
    Supporting slide
  • Dr Knut G. Berdal, Senior Science and Technology Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Norway
    Supporting slide
  • Ms Alison Neeley, Assistant Director, Plant Pest Risk Analysis Unit, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program
  • Dr Lei Zhang, Head, Risk Assessment Division II, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment
  • Dr Karima Zouine, Head, Risk Assessment Service, Risk Assessment and Legal Affairs Directorate, Morocco
    Supporting slide

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

Informal discussions (13:00 – 14:00): Participants had an opportunity to interact informally and raise follow-up questions with speakers on the topic of risk assessment in two Zoom side sessions. One side session was made available to exchange with the relevant international organizations and a second side session to exchange with Members that had participated in the roundtable. Discussions in these Zoom side sessions were not moderated or recorded; the side sessions provided an opportunity for informal conversations. Interpretation was not provided.

Monday 12 July 2021
AFTERNOON SESSION (15:00 — 18:00 CET)



3. RISK MANAGEMENT

Exploring the concept of risk management, including the evaluation of risk management options, implementation, monitoring and review, and related issues concerning the implementation of relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement. Additionally, challenges with risk management were explored, such as identifying appropriate types of SPS risks to consider for risk management and identifying and evaluating risk management options.

3.1 Roundtable — Risk management and international standards

Exploring the use of relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations in risk management. This session also highlighted the difference between activities conducted by international standard-setting bodies and the competence of, and actions conducted by, national authorities.

  • Moderator: Dr Delia Grace, Professor Food Safety Systems, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom and Joint Appointed Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya

Speakers:

  • Dr Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
  • Mr Masahiro Sai, Senior Researcher (Section Head), Research Division, Yokohama Plant Protection Station, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee
  • Ms Joanne Wilson, Principal Adviser, Animal and Plant Health Directorate, Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee
  • Dr Francisco D'Alessio, Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

3.2 Roundtable – Member perspectives

Sharing of successes, challenges, considerations, impacts and best practices related to risk management.

  • Moderator: Professor Steve Hathaway, Chief Food Safety Scientist, New Zealand Food Safety, Ministry of Primary Industries

Video clips: Private sector perspective; Experience with public-private cooperation

  • Dr Ludovica Verzegnassi, Global Head of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, Nestlé S.A. A few remarks on risk management
    Video
  • Dr Chagema Kedera, COLEACP Coordinator for the New Export Trade (NExT) Programme in Kenya, SPS advisor, USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Senior Technical Consultant with the USAID-Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises on Horticultural Issues, and Regional Coordinator COLEACP EDES Food Safety Programme. Public-private cooperation in risk management
    Video

Speakers:

  • Mr Kuan-Yu Lin, Technical Specialist, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Chinese Taipei
  • Mr Johnny Marchan Peña, Executive President, National Fisheries Health Agency (SANIPES), Peru
  • Mr Taluí Espíndola Zanatta, Federal Inspector of the Department of Plant Inspection, Secretariat of Animal and Plant Health and Inspection, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), Brazil

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021
MORNING SESSION (10:00 — 13:00 CET)



4. RISK COMMUNICATION

Exploring the concept of risk communication, including developing the goals for a risk communication plan, how to develop a risk communication plan, how to ensure through internal and external communications that the results of the risk assessment, risk management options, and assumptions and uncertainty of the risk assessment are clearly communicated to internal and external audiences/stakeholders. Exploring the importance of forming trust, working with transparency, and developing confidence in regulatory decisions; discussing strategies to overcome challenges associated with significant institutional, capacity, and technical constraints, and related issues concerning the implementation of relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement.

4.1 Relevant international standards and other international and regional guidance

Exploring the relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations relating to risk communication and the role of the international standard-setting bodies in risk communication. Exploring the available international and regional guidance on risk communication.

Speakers:

  • Dr Sarah Cahill, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat. Communicating risk: Developing standards, building communities
    Presentation
  • Ms Sarah Brunel, Implementation Facilitation Deputy Leader, IPPC Secretariat. Phytosanitary risk communication
    Presentation
  • Dr Francisco D'Alessio, Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat. Risk communication, OIE international standards, activities and tools
    Presentation
  • Dr Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO. Risk communication for food safety poses unique challenge
    Presentation
  • Dr Hong Jin, Senior Scientist, International and Dietary Exposure Assessment Section, Food Standards Australia New Zealand.An introduction to the APEC Food Safety Risk Communication Framework and its development
    Presentation

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

4.2 Sharing of successes, challenges, considerations, impacts and best practices related to risk communication

Exploring and discussing various perspectives and experiences related to risk communication.

4.2.1 Internal risk communication

This session focused on exploring and discussing effective communication between and among risk assessors and risk managers.

Speakers:

  • Dr Wei-Chih Cheng, Deputy Director, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Chinese Taipei. Risk communication based on scenario assumption
    Presentation
  • Ms Madeline Beal, Senior Risk Communication Advisor, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Risk communication at USEPA: An introduction to the SALT Framework
    Presentation

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021
AFTERNOON SESSION (15:00 — 18:00 CET)



4.2.2 Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages

This session focused on experiences with translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages, including communicating uncertainty and leveraging new communication tools. The session also explored and discussed effective ways to target communication, who are the audiences, what is the government’s responsibility and role in risk communication, and when to communicate.

Speakers:

  • Ms Andrée-Anne Girard, Senior Communications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Communicating risks: African swine fever
    Presentation
  • Ms Yuqiong Deng, Chief of International Trade Rules Research Section, Customs National Targeting Bureau (Huangpu), General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). Risk communication helps gelatin trade between China and the EU
    Presentation

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

Informal discussions (13:00 – 14:00): Participants had an opportunity to interact informally and raise follow-up questions with speakers on the topic of risk communication in two Zoom side sessions. One side session was made available to exchange with the relevant international organizations and a second side session to exchange with Members that had made presentations. Discussions in these Zoom side sessions were not moderated or recorded; the side sessions provided an opportunity for informal conversations. Interpretation was not provided.

4.2.2 Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication messages (Continued)

Speakers:

  • Ms Anastasia Alvizou, Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General Health and Food Safety. EU legal framework on risk communication, recent developments
    Presentation
  • Ms Laura Whitlock, Communication Lead, Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multistate foodborne outbreaks: Using real-time data to communicate real-time risk
    Presentation

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

5. CASE STUDIES

Exploring case studies of practical examples of experiences undertaking risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication for SPS issues in order to examine how these three components of risk analysis are interlinked and where there may be common challenges with the application of these concepts.

Speakers:

  • Dr Alan MacLeod, Pest Risk Analyst, Risk and Horizon Scanning Team, Plant and Animal Health Directorate, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom. Pest risk analysis: Tools, resources and key challenges
    Presentation
  • Ms Amy Philpott, Risk Communicator, Watson Green LLC, United States. Risk communication: A public-private partnership
    Presentation
  • Ms Yi-Tzu Weng, Deputy Director, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture, Chinese Taipei. Strengthening risk management measures for international mail articles of plant products
    Presentation
  • Dr Fu-Kuan Juan, Section Chief, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture, Chinese Taipei. Border control against African swine fever
    Presentation
  • Dr Lilian de Luna, Section Head, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada. Registration of pesticides in Canada under the Joint Review Program
    Presentation
  • Ms Barbara Gallani, Head, Communication Engagement and Cooperation Department, European Food Safety Authority. International initiative on trust
    Presentation

Followed by Q&A session and discussion.

6. CLOSING REMARKS

Core resources

Participants were invited to consult the following materials on risk analysis in advance of the workshop:

Catalogue of resources

For more information on risk analysis, a catalogue of relevant resources is available here.

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