PreviousNext

The objective of the Brainstorming Meeting on Sanitary/Phytosanitary Priorities and Challenges in SASEC Member Countries was to initiate development of a regional agenda in South Asia to address issues relating to existing standards under Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, as well as Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Outcomes of the meeting included:

• Increased understanding of country-specific constraints in SPS/ TBT in the region;
• Enhanced knowledge of available assistance and support from international organizations and research networks in the area of SPS/ TBT;
• Preliminary identification of preferences and priorities for necessary SPS/ TBT diagnostics and studies in the SASEC countries;
• Identification of needs-based capacity-building activities at both regional and national levels;
• Agreement on the need and general initial scope for a regional platform addressing SPS/ TBT development in the SASEC region.

Participants included government officials from relevant agencies, international experts (from organizations including SAARC, WTO, UNFAO, ARTNeT, and others), and ADB and UNESCAP staff. The event was co-organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and co-funded by Australian AID.