CASTRIES, St Lucia: The Ministry of Agriculture of Chile with the support of the Department of Trade and Tourism of the OAS and the CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with the OECS Secretariat will be hosting a two-day workshop in St Lucia entitled "Managing a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) System: The Chilean Experience." The event will be hosted on October 27 and 28, 2008.

This workshop is part of a wider technical cooperation project of the government of Chile, entitled "Strengthening the Official Sanitary System of Agricultural Goods for the Export markets in the CARICOM member states." The workshop is expected to facilitate the sharing of experiences in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues between experts from the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service and SPS Officials from the CARICOM member states. Antigua & Barbuda; Dominica; Grenada; St Kitts & Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines are expected to participate in the workshop.

Some of the topics to be discussed include;

1. International Trade: Current Trends, Impact of (SPS) Measures and the Chilean Experience.
2. Organization, Structure, Mission and objectives of the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service.
3. Sanitary and Phytosanitary inspection and Certification System - Internal, External and Information Systems.
4. Risk Assessment Techniques and Phytosanitary Quarantine System.
5. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Diagnosis (System of Official and Accredited Laboratories)
6. Border Phytosanitary Inspection and Certification - Commercial Cargo, Passenger Inspection and Inspection Techniques.

On the final session of day two, CARICOM Regional Work Program on SPS will be discussed and participating member states will deliver presentations on the current status of SPS Regimes of their respective countries.

The organizers are expecting the workshop to conclude with an identification of the priority needs of the countries in the SPS area and with a basic follow-up plan to include training activities to address those needs such as internships in Chile or visits to countries by Chilean experts in very specific and technical matters.

The agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures also known as the SPS Agreement is an International treaty of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and it was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995. The SPS agreement concerns the application of food safety and animal and plant health regulations.