WTO SPS Mentoring System 2026: Applications Open for Government Officials Working on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters

Applications are now open for government officials interested in joining the 2026 World Trade Organization Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Mentoring System as mentees, an international professional development initiative designed to strengthen practical knowledge, peer learning, coordination and engagement on sanitary and phytosanitary issues.

The WTO SPS Mentoring System connects government officials who need support on particular SPS challenges with experienced officials who can provide practical guidance through an informal, flexible mentoring relationship. The initiative is particularly intended to assist developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO members, including in areas such as SPS transparency, participation in the WTO SPS Committee, implementation of SPS Agreement provisions, domestic coordination, leadership and other operational SPS issues.

Applications for the current call must be submitted by

Friday, 25 September 2026

The WTO’s current implementation timeline indicates that mentees will be selected during the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by a call for mentors and mentor–mentee matching. The new mentoring relationships are then expected to operate from the first quarter of 2027 onward, with the duration determined by the individual mentoring participants.

The programme is not a scholarship, grant or funded training course. The WTO states that mentoring does not imply a financial commitment unless the participants agree otherwise. Instead, the programme focuses on professional knowledge exchange and practical institutional capacity-building between government officials.

Apply for the 2026 WTO SPS Mentoring System

Official WTO SPS Mentoring System information

About the WTO SPS Mentoring System

The SPS Mentoring System was created by the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as a practical mechanism for supporting government officials who work with SPS matters.

It was established following recommendations arising from the Sixth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, adopted in March 2025.

The system was originally launched as a pilot in June 2025.

Its purpose was to provide developing and LDC members with additional practical support, particularly concerning:

SPS transparency

Timely engagement in SPS matters

Participation in the SPS Committee

Implementation of SPS requirements

Domestic institutional coordination

Knowledge-sharing between governments

The pilot created mentoring relationships between government officials from different WTO members, including through South-South cooperation.

Following the pilot, the SPS Committee agreed in June 2026 to extend the initiative for another two years, with a mid-term review planned for 2027.

What Are Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures?

Sanitary and phytosanitary measures are government measures intended to protect

Human health

Animal health

Plant health

Food safety

In international trade, these rules can affect products such as

Food

Agricultural commodities

Plants

Animals

Meat

Fish

Fruit and vegetables

Seeds

Animal products

SPS policy can involve issues including

Food safety standards

Pest controls

Animal disease measures

Plant health regulations

Quarantine

Import inspections

Risk assessment

Certification

Maximum residue limits

Disease-related import restrictions

The WTO SPS Agreement establishes disciplines governing how members use such measures in international trade.

International standards in the SPS field are closely associated with organizations including:

The Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety

The World Organisation for Animal Health for animal health and zoonoses

The International Plant Protection Convention for plant health

Government officials working in these areas may therefore encounter highly technical questions alongside complex institutional and trade-policy challenges.

The mentoring system is intended to help officials learn from peers who have already dealt with comparable problems.

Why Was the SPS Mentoring System Created?

The WTO SPS Committee recognized that developing and least-developed members may face practical challenges when participating in the SPS system.

These can include

Limited institutional capacity

Difficulties coordinating agencies domestically

Limited experience preparing SPS notifications

Challenges using WTO transparency mechanisms

Limited familiarity with SPS Committee procedures

Difficulties implementing specific SPS Agreement obligations

Technical problems associated with sanitary or phytosanitary controls

The mentoring system offers a relatively flexible mechanism through which government officials can discuss those practical challenges with peers who have relevant experience.

The aim is therefore not simply to provide theoretical training on the SPS Agreement.

It is intended to facilitate problem-oriented learning.

How the Mentoring System Works

The WTO describes mentoring as an

Informal, ad hoc supportive relationship between government officials.

Its purpose is to facilitate

Knowledge-sharing

Peer learning

Practical discussion

Engagement on SPS-related issues

A mentoring arrangement does not have to consist only of one mentor and one mentee.

Depending on the issue, it may involve

One mentor and one mentee

Several mentees

Several mentors

A wider peer-learning relationship

This flexibility allows the mentoring arrangement to be adapted to the SPS challenge involved.

Mentoring Is Not Formal Consultancy

Participants should not view this programme as equivalent to hiring a technical consultant.

The mentor is primarily a peer professional who can

Share experience

Explain approaches used in another administration

Discuss institutional practices

Suggest useful tools

Help the mentee think through practical challenges

Share lessons learned

The exact relationship will depend on the needs identified by the mentee and the experience of the mentor.

Possible SPS Mentoring Topics

The WTO identifies several broad areas that may form the basis of a mentoring request.

These include

SPS Transparency

Transparency is a major component of the WTO SPS system.

Mentoring may help an official understand areas such as

Notifications

National enquiry points

National notification authorities

Information-sharing

Changes in SPS regulations

Timely communication with trading partners

Officials who are newly responsible for SPS transparency may benefit particularly from practical guidance from another administration.

Participation in the WTO SPS Committee

Another mentoring objective may involve

SPS Committee participation.

Officials may need support understanding

Committee procedures

How to prepare for meetings

How to coordinate positions domestically

How to raise an SPS issue

How to respond to questions

How to engage with other WTO members

The mentoring system may therefore support officials who want to strengthen their government’s effective participation in WTO SPS processes.

Operational Implementation of SPS Issues

Officials may also request mentoring concerning the implementation of specific SPS matters.

For example, a government agency could seek peer support concerning

Import inspection

Risk categorization

Food safety controls

Animal health measures

Plant health systems

Regulatory implementation

The exact issue should be identified in the mentee’s request.

Implementation of the SPS Agreement

Mentoring may concern a particular

SPS Agreement provision

or a broader implementation problem.

This can be valuable where officials understand the formal legal requirement but need practical examples of how another WTO member has operationalized it.

Leadership and Domestic Coordination

SPS policy frequently involves several government institutions.

Depending on the country, these might include

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Trade

Food safety authorities

Veterinary authorities

Plant protection authorities

Customs

Standards agencies

Poor coordination can create problems in

Notification

International representation

Inspection

Risk management

Trade negotiations

Regulatory implementation

The WTO therefore identifies leadership and coordination on SPS matters as a potential mentoring objective.

South-South Cooperation

An important feature of the mentoring system is that it can support

South-South cooperation.

This means expertise does not need to flow only from high-income countries to developing economies.

Officials in one developing country may have highly relevant experience that can benefit counterparts in another country dealing with a similar institutional or regulatory issue.

For example, the pilot included Morocco providing mentoring on transparency, domestic coordination and SPS Committee participation to officials from Cameroon, Djibouti and Tunisia.

Examples From the First SPS Mentoring Pilot

The 2025–2026 pilot provides useful examples of the kinds of issues that can be addressed.

Belize and the European Union

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority was matched with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.

Their mentoring topic focused on

SPS risk categorization and/or risk-based inspection.

Cameroon, Djibouti and Tunisia With Morocco

Officials from trade ministries in

Cameroon

Djibouti

Tunisia

were connected with Morocco’s

National Office for Food Safety

The mentoring focused on

SPS transparency

Domestic coordination

SPS Committee participation

Namibia and the United Kingdom

Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform was matched with the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

The mentoring focus was

SPS Committee participation.

Pakistan and Canada

Pakistan’s Animal Quarantine Department was connected with the

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The mentoring addressed

Operational implementation

Domestic coordination

Peru and the European Union

Peru’s National Authority for Health and Safety in Fisheries and Aquaculture was matched with the European Commission.

The mentoring explored

Artificial intelligence and predictive models based on historical sanitary control data for assessing health risks related to hydrobiological products.

These examples demonstrate the considerable range of issues that may be appropriate for mentoring.

Results of the 2025–2026 Pilot

The initial pilot generated significant interest.

The WTO reported receiving

56 mentoring requests

from

23 WTO members and observers.

From those requests

Nine applications were selected

Five mentoring partnerships were established

The most common mentoring topics included

Transparency

SPS Committee participation

Implementation of specific SPS issues or Agreement provisions

Leadership

Domestic SPS coordination

The positive experience and feedback from participants contributed to the SPS Committee’s decision to continue the programme for another two years.

Who Should Apply in 2026?

The current call is directed at

Government officials working on SPS matters who want mentoring assistance to address SPS issues at the domestic level.

The programme’s broader purpose is to support

Developing and least-developed country WTO members.

Potential applicants might therefore work in institutions such as

Ministries of Agriculture

Ministries of Trade

Ministries of Health

Food safety authorities

Veterinary services

Plant protection agencies

Fisheries authorities

Quarantine agencies

SPS national notification authorities

SPS enquiry points

Other government regulatory agencies

The key issue is that the applicant should have official responsibilities connected with sanitary or phytosanitary matters.

This Call Is for Mentees

It is important to distinguish between

Mentees

and

Mentors

The current application form is specifically for officials requesting mentoring.

The 2026 timeline indicates that

Mentee applications are collected during Q3 2026.

Mentees are selected during Q4 2026.

A call for mentors follows.

Mentors and mentees are matched.

Mentoring begins afterward.

Government officials who are interested in providing mentoring rather than receiving it should therefore follow the subsequent mentor call rather than complete the mentee form.

What Makes a Strong Mentee Request?

The first pilot indicates that selection can consider factors such as

The mentoring objective

Commitment of the mentee

Language

Region

The suitability of available mentors

A strong application should therefore identify a specific SPS challenge rather than requesting general professional development.

For example, compare these two requests

“Help me learn more about SPS.”

versus

“Our agency wants to strengthen its coordination between the national notification authority and veterinary and plant health regulators so that SPS notifications are submitted more consistently and on time.”

The second request provides a much clearer basis for identifying a suitable mentor.

What Applicants Should Explain

Although applicants should follow the actual online application questions, a useful mentoring request will normally make clear:

What SPS issue the official is working on

What specific problem they are trying to solve

Why mentoring would be useful

What outcome they hope to achieve

What their role is within the responsible government institution

How they intend to participate actively

Any relevant language or regional considerations

The programme is based on active peer learning, so mentees should be prepared to engage consistently rather than simply receive information.

There Is No Financial Award

Applicants should understand that the WTO SPS Mentoring System is

Not a financial assistance programme.

The WTO states that

Mentoring does not imply any financial commitment unless otherwise agreed.

Therefore, applicants should not expect

A stipend

Salary

Scholarship

Research grant

Travel allowance

Cash award

The value of the programme lies primarily in

Professional mentoring

Knowledge exchange

Peer learning

Institutional capacity-building

International SPS networking

Mentoring Duration

The programme does not prescribe one universal duration for every mentoring relationship.

According to the current implementation timeline

The duration will be decided by each mentoring pair.

The new 2026 cohort is expected to begin mentoring from

Q1 2027 onward.

This flexibility allows different SPS problems to receive different levels of support.

Current 2026–2028 Timeline

The WTO’s current schedule provides a useful overview.

Period

Activity

March 2025

SPS Committee recommends exploring a mentoring system

June 2026

Committee agrees to extend the programme

Q3 2026

Call for mentees

25 September 2026

Mentee application deadline

Q4 2026

Selection of mentees

Q4 2026

Call for mentors and matching

Q1 2027 onward

Mentoring begins

March 2027

Intermediate reporting

June 2027

Intermediate reporting and mid-term review

Q3 2027

New call for mentees

Q4 2027

Further matching

2028

Continued mentoring and Committee reporting

November 2028

Committee considers whether to extend the initiative again

Why the WTO Extended the Programme

The pilot generated positive feedback from WTO members involved in the mentoring partnerships.

At the June 2026 SPS Committee meeting, several participating members shared their experiences, and the Committee agreed to extend the programme for two additional years.

The extension suggests that WTO members see peer mentoring as a useful complement to more conventional forms of:

Technical assistance

Training

Workshops

Capacity-building

Mentoring allows officials to engage with a colleague over time rather than receiving information only during a short formal training event.

Why SPS Capacity Matters for International Trade

SPS measures play an important role in determining whether agricultural and food products can enter international markets.

Weak SPS capacity can affect a country’s ability to

Export agricultural products

Respond to trading partner requirements

Demonstrate food safety

Control pests and animal diseases

Participate effectively in international rule-making

Respond to SPS trade concerns

At the same time, governments need to protect

Consumers

Agricultural production

Animal health

Plant health

Officials therefore often need to balance

Trade facilitation and market access

with

Legitimate health protection.

The mentoring programme can help officials learn how other administrations address this balance.

Transparency as a Major Priority

Transparency has been one of the recurring priorities of the SPS Committee.

WTO members are expected to communicate relevant SPS measures and provide mechanisms through which trading partners can obtain information.

For developing and LDC members, effective transparency may require

Strong domestic coordination

Clear institutional responsibility

Trained staff

Reliable information flows

Familiarity with WTO systems

This explains why transparency has featured prominently in both the programme’s objectives and its pilot mentoring relationships.

Connection With SPS Committee Participation

The SPS Committee provides a regular forum in which WTO members discuss

Implementation of the SPS Agreement

Specific trade concerns

Transparency

International standards

Technical cooperation

Emerging SPS issues

Officials who understand how to participate effectively can better represent their government’s interests.

The mentoring system can therefore support institutional capacity not only at the domestic level but also in multilateral trade diplomacy.

Application Deadline

The deadline for the current mentee call is

Friday, 25 September 2026.

The WTO’s official current timeline explicitly lists this date for the Q3 2026 mentee call.

Applicants should submit early rather than waiting until the final day.

How to Apply

Government officials interested in receiving SPS mentoring should complete the official

2026 SPS Mentoring System – Form to Request Mentoring for Mentees

Complete the WTO SPS Mentoring application form

Applicants should also review the programme information before submitting.

Read the official WTO SPS Mentoring System information

Tips for Preparing a Strong Application

• Identify One Concrete SPS Problem

Avoid requesting mentoring on “SPS generally.”

Instead, identify a specific problem such as

Improving SPS notification procedures

Strengthening domestic coordination

Improving risk-based inspections

Preparing for SPS Committee participation

Implementing a specific Agreement obligation

Specificity makes it easier for the WTO to identify a relevant mentor.

• Explain the Institutional Context

Explain what your agency does and what role you personally play.

For example

Are you responsible for notifications?

Do you work on veterinary import controls?

Do you coordinate plant health regulation?

Do you represent your government in WTO meetings?

This context helps demonstrate why the mentoring request is relevant.

• Define a Practical Objective

A good mentoring objective should be achievable.

For example

“Develop a more effective national SPS coordination procedure involving the trade, agriculture and health ministries.”

is stronger than

“Improve SPS capacity.”

• Show Willingness to Participate Actively

The pilot considered mentee commitment as part of the selection process.

Mentoring works only when both sides actively participate.

Applicants should therefore be prepared to

Attend agreed meetings

Share relevant information

Follow up on discussions

Test proposed approaches

Report progress

• Think About Language

Language is one factor considered when matching mentors and mentees.

Applicants should accurately indicate which languages they can use professionally.

This increases the likelihood of an effective mentoring relationship.

• Explain the Wider Institutional Benefit

Where possible, show how mentoring could benefit more than one person.

For example

Improved procedures

Better coordination

Knowledge transferred to colleagues

More effective WTO participation

Stronger national transparency

This can make the request more strategically valuable.

Key Details at a Glance

Programme: WTO SPS Mentoring System

Organization: World Trade Organization

Responsible body: WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Current call: 2026 call for mentees

Target participants: Government officials working on SPS matters

Primary intended beneficiaries: Developing and least-developed country WTO members

Format: Flexible professional mentoring

Relationship: Informal, ad hoc and peer-based

Potential format: One-to-one or multi-person mentoring

Areas: Transparency, Committee participation, implementation, leadership, coordination and other SPS issues

Financial support: None automatically provided

Mentee application deadline: 25 September 2026

Selection: Q4 2026

Mentor recruitment and matching: Q4 2026

Mentoring start: Q1 2027 onward

Duration: Determined by each mentoring pair

Mid-term review: June 2027

Conclusion

The WTO SPS Mentoring System 2026 provides government officials working on sanitary and phytosanitary matters with an opportunity to receive practical, peer-based professional support on specific SPS challenges.

Established following the Sixth Review of the SPS Agreement and first piloted in 2025–2026, the system was created to assist developing and least-developed WTO members, particularly in strengthening transparency and timely engagement on SPS matters.

The programme is deliberately flexible. Mentoring can involve one mentor and one mentee or several participants and can address issues ranging from SPS transparency and WTO Committee participation to domestic coordination, risk-based inspection and practical implementation of SPS obligations.

The first pilot received 56 requests from 23 members and observers, resulting in nine selected applications and five mentoring partnerships. Following positive feedback from participating members, the SPS Committee agreed in June 2026 to extend the system for a further two years.

This is not a financial award. Mentees should not expect a stipend, salary or travel grant. Rather, the value lies in access to peer experience, professional knowledge, practical problem-solving and stronger engagement with the international SPS community.

For government officials in developing and least-developed countries who are currently dealing with a specific sanitary or phytosanitary challenge, the programme can provide a relatively personalized form of capacity-building that complements formal WTO technical assistance.

Applications for the current mentee cohort must be submitted by

25 September 2026.

Apply for the 2026 WTO SPS Mentoring System

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