Dr. Robert Ahern leads the U.S. Delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee), coordinates USTR positions for the International SPS Standard Setting Bodies (Codex Alimentarius, World Organization for Animal Health [OIE], and the International Plant Protection Convention [IPPC]), and manages agricultural trade issues in the European Union, among other duties. Prior to joining USTR, Dr. Ahern led the Agricultural Health and Food Safety Program at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica. In this role, he helped IICA’s 32 Member Countries implement the WTO SPS Agreement and participate actively and effectively in international SPS standard setting activities. Dr. Ahern started his federal career with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), where he served in a variety of roles, including risk analyst and trade specialist. He earned his PhD in entomology at the University of Maryland and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala.