   
  
G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
25 June 2021 
(21-5162) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 
SPS COMMITTEE WORKSHOP  ON RISK ANALYSIS:  
RISK ASSESSMENT, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND RISK COMMUNICATION  
 
MONDAY, 12 JULY – TUESDAY , 13 JULY 2021  
 
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM  
Note by the Secretariat1 
PROGRAMME  
Revision  
The SPS Committee agreed to hold a workshop on risk assessment, risk management, and risk 
communication at the  margins of the July 2021 Committee meeting, based on a proposal submitted 
by Canada in the context of the Fifth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the 
SPS Agreement . 
The workshop will focus on risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication , building on 
the Thematic SPS  Workshop on Risk Analysis, held on 13 -14 October 2014; and the SPS Thematic 
Session on Risk  Communication, held on 15 July 2015.  
The workshop  will be held via Zoom  on 12-13 July  2021, beginning at 10 a.m. CEST. Interpretation 
in the three official languages will be available. The video recording s will be made available on the 
WTO website after the workshop.  
A dedicated web page is available on the WTO SPS gateway, with relevant information on the 
workshop and useful resources on risk analysis. Participants are invited to familiari se themselves 
with the tools and resources made available. In particular, participants who may not be familiar with 
risk assessment are encouraged to complete the WTO eLearning module on risk assessment and /or 
review other available materials on risk asses sment in advance of the workshop.  
The Secretariat is circulating this revised version  of the programme2 after taking into consideration 
comments received  by Members and Observers . 
_______________  
 
  
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice to 
the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
2 A first draft of the programme was circulated by Canada in document  G/SPS/GEN/ 1769, and its 
subsequent revis ion (G/SPS/GEN/1769/Rev.1 ). Members were invited to submit comments on the revised draft 
programme and suggest speakers by 23 April 2021 , following which a revised version of the programme  was 
circulated by the Secretariat in document G/SPS/GEN/1911 . Members were again invited to submit additional 
comments and suggest speakers by Monday, 7 June 2021.  G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Moderator : Mr Gregory M acDonald, Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
MONDAY 12 JULY 2021  
1  OPENING SESSION (10:00 – 10:30)  
1.1  Opening remarks  
Opening remarks and overview  of the workshop and its objectives.  This session will also look at basic 
concepts of risk analysis and developments over the years . 
Speaker : Mr G regory M acDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
Video  clip: Risk analysis in the SPS Agreement, a few introductory remarks with Robert Griffin 
and Gretchen Stanton  
▪ 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 Chair person  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 p rovisions 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 S ecretariat, Dispute Settlement Lawyer  
2  RISK ASSESSMENT  (10:30 – 13:00)  
Explore the concept of risk and how to operationalize risk assessment from a trade policy 
perspective.  Share experiences on building technical capacities in risk assessment, including 
currently available training tools, which can help partic ipants 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  
Provide an overview of  relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations  and other 
international tools  relating to risk assessment , as well as s hare capacity building tools.  
Moderator:  Ms Marlynne Hopper , Deputy Head, Secretariat  of the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF)  
Speakers:  
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Dr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat  
▪ Dr Sophie von Dobschuetz , Veterinary Epidemiologist , Animal Health Service , FAO ( FAO-
OIE-WHO Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool ) 
▪ Ms Magda Sachana , Policy Analyst, OECD Pesticides and Hazard Assessment Programme  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
- 3 - 
 
  2.2  Roundtable – Member perspectives  
Explore and discuss 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 SP S Agreement. Share  experiences  related to building capacity and tools currently 
available to help countries strengthen their technical capacities in risk assessment . 
Moderator:  Ms L ucy Namu , Senior Principal Analytical Chemist, Head Quality Assurance and 
Laboratory Accreditation, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service  
Speakers:  
▪ Ms Anastasia Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety  
▪ Dr Knut G. Berdal , Senior Science and Technology Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Food , 
Norway  
▪ Ms Alison Neeley , United States Department of Agriculture  (USDA) , Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program, Plant 
Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory  
▪ 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  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussion s (13:00 – 14:00 ): Participants will have an opportunity to  interact  informally 
and raise follow -up questions with speakers on the topic of risk assessment in two breakout  rooms. 
One breakout  room will be available to exchange with the relevant international organi zations and a 
second breakout  room to exchange with Members that participated in the roundtable . Discussions 
in these breakout rooms  will not be moderated or recorded ; the rooms  will prov ide an opportunity  
for informal conversations. Interpretation will not be provided.  
3  RISK MANAGEMENT  (15:00 – 18:00)  
Explore the concept of risk management , including the evaluation of risk management options,  
implementation, monitoring and review, and rela ted issues concerning the implementation of 
relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement.  Additionally, challenges with risk management can be 
explored, such as identifying appropriate types of SPS risks to consider for risk management  and 
identifying and eval uating risk management options.  
3.1  Roundtable – Risk management and international standards  
Explore the use of relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations in risk 
management.  This session will also highlight the difference between activiti es conducted by 
international standard -setting bodies and the competence of, and actions conducted by, national 
authorities.  
Moderator: Ms Delia Grace , Professor Food Safety Systems, University of Greenwich, 
United  Kingdom and Joint Appointed Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya  
Spea kers:  
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Mr Masahiro S ai, Senior Researcher (Section Head), Research Division, Yokohama Plant 
Protection Station, M inistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) , Japan  and Steward 
of the IPPC Standards Committee  
▪ Ms Joanne Wilson , Principal Adviser, Animal & Plant Health Directorate, Biosecurity 
New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries and Steward of the IPPC Standards Committee  G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
- 4 - 
 
  ▪ Dr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head, Standards Departmen t, 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 . This session will focus on Member perspectives. It will also include short video clips 
reflecting the perspective of various private sector actors.  
Moderator : Professor Steve Hathaway , Chief Food Safety Scientist, New Zealand Food 
Safety, Ministry of Primary Industries  
Video clips:  Private sector perspective s 
▪ Ms Ludovica Verzegnassi , Global Head of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, Nestlé S.A.  
▪ TBC 
Speakers:  
▪ Mr Kuan -Yu Lin, Technical Specialist, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug Administration, 
Ministry of Health and Welfare , Chinese Taipei  
▪ Mr Taluí Espíndola Zanatta , Brazil 
▪ Mr Johnny Marchan Peña , Executive President , National Fisheries Health Agency  
(SANIPES ), Peru  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
TUESDAY 13 JULY 2021  
4  RISK COMMUNICATION  (10:00 – 13:00  AND 15:00 – 15:45) 
Explore 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 t he 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. Explore the importance of forming trust, working with transparency, an d 
developing confidence in regulatory decisions; discuss 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 guidance from other international organizations  
Explore the relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations relating to risk 
communication  and role of the international standard -setting bodies in risk communication . 
Explore  the available guidance on risk communication from other international organizations.  
Speakers : 
▪ Codex Alimentarius  
▪ Ms Sarah Brunel , Implementation Facilitation Deputy Lead er, IPPC Secretariat  
▪ Dr Francisco D 'Alessio , Deputy Head, Standards Department, OIE Secretariat  
▪ FAO 
▪ WHO 
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
- 5 - 
 
  4.2  Sharing of successes, challenges, considerations, impacts and best practices related 
to risk communication  
Explore and discuss various perspectives and e xperiences related to risk communication . 
4.2.1   Internal risk communication  
This session will focus on exploring and discussing  effective communication between and among risk 
assessors and risk managers.  
Speakers:  
▪ Dr Wei-Chih C heng , Deputy Director, Division of Food Safety, Food and Drug 
Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare , Chinese Taipei . Risk Communication based on 
Scenario Assumption  
▪ Ms Madeline Beal , Senior Risk Communication Advisor, United States Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA)  
Followed by Q&A  session and discussion . 
4.2.2   Translating risk assessment and risk management into communication m essages  
This session will focus on experiences with t ranslating risk assessment and risk management into 
communication messages, including communicating uncertainty and leveraging new communication 
tools.  The session will also explore and discuss  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  
▪ 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 restore gelatin trade between China and the EU  
▪ Ms Anastasia  Alvizou , Deputy Head of Unit D1, European Commission Directorate General 
Health and Food Safety  
▪ 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)  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
Informal discussion s (13:00 – 14:00 ): Participants will have an opportunity to  interact  informally  
and raise follow -up questions  with speakers on the topic of risk communication in two breakout 
rooms . One breakout room  will be available to exchange with the relevant international organi zations 
and a second breakout room  to exchange with Members that have made presentations. Discuss ions 
in these breakout rooms  will not be  moderated or  recorded ; the rooms  will provide an opportunity 
for informal conversations. Interpretation will not be provided.  
5  CASE STUDIES (15:45 – 18:00)  
Explore 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 chal lenges with the 
application of these concepts.  
Speakers : 
▪ Mr Alan MacLeod , Pest Risk Analyst, Risk and Horizon Scanning Team, Plant and Animal 
Health Directorate, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom  G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.1  
 
- 6 - 
 
  ▪ Ms Amy Philpott , Risk Commu nicator, Watson Green LLC , United States  
▪ Ms Yi -Tzu W eng, Deputy Director and Dr Fu -Kuan Juan , Section Chief, Bureau of Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture , Chinese Taipei  
▪ Ms Lilian de Luna , Section Head, Science and Submission Management Section, Registration 
Directorate , Canada  
▪ Ms Barbara Gallani , Head, Communication Engagement and Cooperation Department, 
European Food Safety Authority  
Followed by Q&A session and discussion . 
6  CLOSING REMARKS  
Mr Gregory MacDonald , Chairperson of the SPS Committee  
__________  