3rd Meeting of the CAREC Regional Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Strategic Directions Planning and TA 9500 Closing Workshop

The 3rd Meeting of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC)  Regional Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS RWG) (i) discussed the implementation progress of the CAREC Common Agenda for Modernization of SPS Measures for Trade(CAST), specifically the activities implemented under the CAREC SPS TA: Modernizing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to Facilitate Trade; and (ii) deliberated on SPS initiatives to enhance market access, facilitate safe trade and help countries participate in global value chains. The meeting endorsed SPS initiatives, which will be incorporated in the Rolling Strategic Action Plan (RSAP) 2023-2025 of the CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda (CITA) 2030.

Deputy Minister of Georgia’s Ministry of Finance, Ekaterine Guntsadze, opened the event, emphasizing the importance of agriculture value chains to economic and financial stability, trade, and development of economic corridors, as well as on other cross-cutting clusters of the CAREC 2030 Strategy. Co-chairs of the SPS National Working Group of Georgia, Samson Uridia (Head of International Relations Department, Georgia Revenue Service) and Tengiz Kalandadze (Head of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture), underscored the importance of simplification of trade procedures and modernization of SPS measures under the CAREC Program. Director General of ADB’s East Asia Department, M. Teresa Kho, outlined the emerging issues and the need to protect agri-food value chain through enhanced regional collaboration and deepened coordination among agriculture, health, environment and trade agencies under a One-Health approach. Director of the Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division, Central and West Asia Department, Lyaziza Sabyrova, discussed the potential for increased agriculture trade in the CAREC region while underscoring concerted efforts to address the challenges of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Director of the Public Management, Financial Sector, and Regional Cooperation Division, East Asia Department, Emma Fan, commended the momentum in SPS reforms among CAREC members including the use of innovative solutions such as electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto), animal identification and traceability, and single windows to facilitate safe trade.

The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), World Trade Organization (WTO) shared insights on global SPS trends and initiatives. ADB discussed the linkages of SPS work with other CAREC sector strategies such as agriculture, health and digital transformation. USAID Trade Central Asia Activity shared on-going activities in SPS and trade, including collaboration with the CAREC Program. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) underscored the importance of compliance with international standards for animal health through the performance for veterinary services (PVS) pathway. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shared their activities on animal identification and food safety, including digitalized inspection. The World Bank shared insights on operationalization of risk management, emphasizing the importance of data collection and digitalization. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) expressed support for the implementation of the ePhyto solutions in CAREC countries. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) recommends ensuring interoperability as countries digitalize and mobilizing financing, including public-private partnerships to meet infrastructure needs.

The event was hosted by the Georgia Revenue Service, Ministry of Finance. More than 130 participants – members of the CAREC SPS Regional Working Group, policymakers and specialists from veterinary services, national plant protection agencies, food safety agencies, customs and trade ministries, and development partners, – participated in the event.

The activity was supported by KSTA 9500-REG: Modernizing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to Facilitate Trade, co-funded by the People’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund and Regional Cooperation and Integration Fund.

Key Documents

Agenda | RUS

List of Participants

Video Gallery – Statements of Countries and Development Partners

Presentations

Session 2: Global and Regional Developments on SPS Measures 

  • Global SPS Trends and Initiatives (English, Russian)
  • CAREC Agenda for Modernization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures for Trade: Achievements and Next Steps (English, Russian)

Session 3: Enhancing Phytosanitary Measures for Trade 

  • Azerbaijan: Establishing Pest Free Areas for Market Access (English, Russian)
  • Uzbekistan: Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation and Reforms (English, Russian)
  • Insights on Enhancing Phytosanitary Measures for Trade (English, Russian)

Session 4: The ePhyto Solution 

Session 5: Enhancing Veterinary Services for Trade  

  • Kazakhstan: Cooperation of the Republic of Kazakhstan with PRC in the Field of Veterinary Medicine (English, Russian)
  • Georgia: National Animal Identification (English, Russian)
  • World Organization for Animal Health Standards and Tools to Improve Veterinary Services (English, Russian)

Session 6: Promoting Food Safety in CAREC Countries 

  • Kyrgyz Republic: Food Import Guide (English, Russian)
  • Turkmenistan: Simplified Modern Risk-Based Food Safety Management and Control System (English, Russian)

Recap of SPS Workshop Outcomes, Highlights of SPS Interventions Delivered and SPS Action Plan (English, Russian) 

Cooperation Framework for Agricultural Development and Food Security in the CAREC Region (English, Russian) 

Links

CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda (CITA) 2030

Common Agenda for Modernization of SPS Measures for Trade

CAREC 2030: Connecting the Region for Shared and Sustainable Development

Cooperation Framework for Agricultural Development and Food Security in the CAREC Region (English, Russian, Chinese)

CAREC SPS Video