High level officials become acquainted with the management issues of modern sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary (SPS) related government agencies (en)(2)

On November 17, the ITC conducted a seminar for top managers on the “Management of modern SPS-related government agencies”. The aim of the seminar was to identify the main management problems that agencies responsible for SPS issues face, and examine strategies and techniques that would be helpful in the short and longer term in order to find solutions to these problems.

SPS agencies are those Government organizations whose functions relate to sanitary and phytosanitary issues – food safety and the protection of animal and plant health. The relevant agencies include those that develop and apply SPS measures within Kyrgyzstan, and those whose role is to facilitate Kyrgyzstan’s exports where SPS measures are an impediment to trade.

SPS agencies have complicated and difficult roles to perform in managing risks to human, animal and plant life and health, based on the application of a range of
scientific disciplines and in accordance with Kyrgyzstan’s obligations as a member of the WTO. The Seminar emphasized the need for the application of modern management methods in these specialized agencies – within the Ministries of Health and Agriculture – so that regulatory objectives are achieved as efficiently and effectively as possible. Costs attributable to regulation must be minimized. Exclusion of exotic pests and diseases is vital for the protection of the natural environment in the Kyrgyz Republic as well as the productivity of the agricultural sector.

The seminar was presented by Mr. Digby Gascoine, ITC Senior International Consultant and expert on sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Mr. Gascoine has more than 10 years experience as a top manager in Australia’s Quarantine and Inspection Service. He was closely involved in the drafting of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, and for a number of years represented Australia in the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures meeting in Geneva. He served for two terms as a Vice Chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.