This study reviews and analyses key concepts and principles relevant to Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and international trade in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the SPS Agreement, as well as in relation to the IPPC and the OIE. It also considers various initiatives to enhance capacities for managing the entry and spread of IAS (including plant pests and animal diseases), reviews common challenges and good practices, and makes a number of targeted recommendations.

This publication analyses the emergence, operation and performance of selected SPS-related partnerships between government agencies responsible for food safety, animal and plant health and/or trade and the private sector. It has been prepared to raise awareness about the potential value and role of PPPs in enhancing SPS capacity and to provide practical guidance to facilitate and promote PPPs for SPS capacity development.

This study presents and analyses the findings of a survey carried out to examine the existence and functioning of national SPS coordination mechanisms in Africa. Its objective is to extract lessons learned and provide suggestions and guidance to support the further establishment and operation of these mechanisms in the future.

This report reviews experiences with the use of economic analysis to guide priority-setting for SPS capacity building in developing countries, highlights the challenges faced in using such methods and provides general guidance to decision-makers on which economic analysis approaches are best suited to particular decision scenarios.

This paper  builds on discussions from the seminar on this topic organized jointly by the World Bank and the STDF in 2009 and it seeks to raise awareness about issues related to SPS risks and standards in the context of agri-food trade and climate change.

The publication resulted from the global-level STDF workshop on this topic in 2008 and provides information about capacity evaluation tools developed by international organizations for food safety, animal and plant health, as well as cross-sectoral tools and related methodologies. The publication is a useful reference for all those interested in evaluating capacity needs in the SPS area.