G/SPS/GEN/2093  
17 February  2023 
(23-1155) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL ORGANIZATION  
FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH (OIRSA) RELATING TO THE  
WTO AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY  
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES,  
OCTOBER  2022 TO JANUARY  2023 
The following communication, received on 1 6 February  2023, is being circulated at the request 
of OIRSA.  
 
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1  TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES RELATING 
TO AGRICULT URAL HEALTH AND TRADE  
1.1.  Regarding citrus farming , the Inter -American Coordinating Group in Plant Protection  (GICSV ) 
organized the first citrus event on the topic of phytosanitary intelligence on citrus and early warning 
systems ; training on integrated manage ment of HLB has also been provided to technicians, 
producers and nursery workers  in Panama, and in Honduras training was provided on citrus 
production, establishment and management, with an emphasis on Persian lime, where topics such 
as the certified healt hy plant production system and its use as a pest containment strategy were 
addressed.  
1.2.  Together with the International Cooperation and Development Fund of Chinese Taipei, the 
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Regional Organization for Plant and 
Animal Health (OIRSA), it organized an International Expert Forum on Fusarium oxysporum f . sp. 
cubense  Tropical Ra ce 4 (Foc TR4) and a field school on the contingency plan and biosecurity for 
Foc TR4. Colombia's experience of containment and its response to this disease in banana crops 
were presented at both events . In Belize, OIRSA, the International Cooperation and Development 
Fund of Chinese Taipei and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) provided  banana and 
plantain producers with training on the prevention and identification of Foc TR4. 
1.3.  Training days and workshops on forest health have been carried out with an empha sis on bark 
insects, how to manage thrips in agricultural crops, the integrated management of cucurbit viruses 
and the integrated management of Central American lobster in the OIRSA region.  
1.4.  In conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency, it prepared a basic guide to the 
world's main fruit fly species.  
1.5.  In Honduras, a course on quarantine treatments was conducted for staff of the International 
Quarantine Treatment Service (SITC) and the Agricultural Protection Service ; in Guatemala, training 
was conducted for SITC staff on the handling of dangerous chemical substances ; in Panama, SITC 
staff were certified in quarantine treatments under the Australian fumigation accreditation scheme  
(DAFF).  
1.6.  At the regional level, OIRSA participated in the Methyl Bromide Alternative Outreach (MBAO) 
conference held in Orlando, Florida (United States of America ). G/SPS/GEN/2093  
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  1.7.  Trainers of dog-handler pairs  from Honduras and Nicaragua were trained at the canine school 
of the National Health, Food Safety and Agri -food Quality Servic e (SENASICA) of the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) of Mexico ; 10 dog-handler pairs  for the 
Dominican  Republic and 4 dog-handler pairs  for Guatemala were also trained.  
1.8.  Entomology specialists were trained at the University of Panama in  order to strengthen the 
diagnostic capacities of pests in Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.  
1.9.  Support is provided to Nicaragua within the framework of the project , in collaboration with 
FAO-Mesoamerica "Risk reduction in agriculture in the face o f phytosanitary and animal health 
threats in the SICA Region, in a COVID -19 context", in the construction and validation of the National 
Pest Risk Analysis for Foc TR4, including a first risk map, in collaboration with Nicaragua's Institute 
for Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA), the Nicaraguan Agricultural Technology Institute 
(INTA), the National Agrarian University (UNA) and the National System for Disaster Pr evention, 
Mitigation and Response  (SINAPRED) of Nicaragua.  
1.10.   In the Dominican Republic, technical staff of the Plant Health Department and the Ministry of 
Agriculture were trained to prepare the first national pest risk analysis study for Fusarium oxysporum 
f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4, with an epidemiological approach.  
1.11.   In Honduras, a workshop was held on the strengthening of technical and analytical capacities 
in the development of different types of risk analysis for emergency attention and phytosanitary 
emergencies, for the operational staff of the Agricultural Protection Service (SEPA), the International 
Quarantine Treatment Service (SITC) of OIRSA and official technical staff of the Technical Plant 
Health Department  of SENASA -Honduras.  
1.12.   Workshops and tra ining were conducted to strengthen diagnostics of cross -border diseases, 
as well as apiculture diseases and pests . The workshop on quantitative risk analysis in animal health 
was also carried out  to strengthen prevention capacities in the region's countrie s. 
1.13.   The second version of the mobile application "Biblioteca OIRSA " (OIRSA Library ) was 
developed , which  contains technical documents, manuals , and practical and demonstrati on videos 
related to animal -health issues for official, private, academic and intern ational organizations, among 
others , to consult . 
1.14.   The "Live Training on Virtual Use of the SIMUVIMA/Food Database" was developed with the 
support of the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil . This activity provided information on the 
steps for the el ectronic submission of data on chemical substances in food and diet under the 
SIMUVIMA/Food programme, with the aim of collecting and making accessible data on food 
contamination from different countries to summarize, evaluate and present them at the globa l level.  
1.15.   In Panama, officials received training on the basic hazard analysis and critical control point s 
(HACCP) for domestic honey collection and packaging plants.  
1.16.   The following courses are available in the OIRSA virtual classroom : "Microbiología en el 
procesamiento de cárnicos " (Microbiology in meat processing ) and " Bienestar Animal " (Animal 
welfare ). 
2  PREVENTION, CONTROL AND ERADICATION ACTIVITIES (PROGRAMMES OR 
CAMPAIGNS)  
2.1.  A regional phytosanitary alert  was issued in the OIRSA region for the prevention of banana wilt 
disease caused by Foc TR4, following  the official confirmation of outbreaks of the disease in the 
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela . The National Plant Protection Organizations  (NPPOs)  of the region 
were urged to strengthen their capacities for the identification of potential risk pathways in each of 
their territories, timely detection, phytosanitary diagnosis and pest management, based on their 
national circumstances, with a number of recomme ndations.  
2.2.  Under the  Law for the Protection of  Banana  Crops , Government officials from Guatemala visited 
Aurora Airport to verify Fusarium  TR4 exclusion measures and the work of eight canine units to 
prevent the entry of products with pests and diseases.  G/SPS/GEN/2093  
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  2.3.  Banana producers in the Dominican Republic were trained on phytosanitary surveillance and 
on-farm biosecurity measures in order to prevent pests and diseases in their crops.  
2.4.  A campaign was carried out to identify and combat bark  boring  insects in the forests  of the 
Malinche region, Tlaxcala (Mexico ). 
2.5.  Continuous support has been provided to OIRSA member countries to step up  non-intrusive 
inspections with canine and X -ray units for the detection of agricultural and livestock risk pathways . 
In addition, the appl ication of quarantine measures and quarantine treatments  has successfully 
prevented  the entry of pests and diseases into the region, and is a measure for facilitating 
international trade.  
2.6.  Advisory and technical support has been provided to the veterinary s ervices of Panama, 
Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala to prepare and review national emergency plans 
for avian influenza in conjunction with the veterinary service and organized poultry producer 
associations . The diagnostic capacities of two level 3 biosecurity laboratories , which  are a regional 
point of reference , will also be bolstered . 
2.7.  Comput ing platforms  for epidemiological surveillance and laborator ies have been developed to 
support the health programmes of Panama, Guate mala and Honduras.  
2.8.  Technical assistance and support continues to be provided to the Dominican Republic to control 
and eradicat e African swine fever (ASF), and to  prevent the entry of ASF into countries free of this 
disease.  
2.9.  The Progressive Pathway for Emergency Preparedness (PPEP) process has been initiated in 
OIRSA member countries, in conjunction  with FAO -OIRSA, in order to enable each country to assess 
its animal health emergenc y preparedness  so that the priority and key areas as identified  by each 
count ry can be worked on and manage d. 
2.10.   The monitoring of aflatoxins in corn was initiated to establish the regional base line . Honduras, 
Guatemala and El Salvador sent their samples, which were analysed to determine levels of this 
contaminant.  
3  STRENGTHENING NATI ONAL INSTITUTIONS TO FACILITATE TRADE  
3.1.  Support has been provided for the process of exporting live cattle from Honduras to Mexico, 
through the training of professionals from the SENASA Animal Health Directorate, Honduras.  
3.2.  In Costa Rica , analytical capacity -building  was supported through international interlaboratory 
test comparison s, which are required to maintain accreditation of the tests to determin e residues in 
plant products under INTE/ISO/ IEC 17025:2 017 of the Technical Standards I nstitute of Costa Rica 
(INTECO) ; calibration kits and certifi ed vials  were provided for the analysis of dye residues in 
aquaculture products and marine toxins in bivalve molluscs ; follow-up assessments were carried out 
for the accreditation of the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (LANASEVE) with the Costa Rican 
Accreditation Body (ECA) ; and continued support is provided to maintain laboratory testing to export 
shrimp for human consumption to the European Union.  
3.3.  Through the acquisition of a ch romatograph, support was provided to build  analytical capacities 
for residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides of the laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock (MAG) -OIRSA of El Salvador.  
3.4.  The analysis matrix of fruits and vegetables in the Dominican Republic was expanded, with the 
addition of analytical standards . Support was also provided to manage the establishment of the 
quality management system for pesticide residue  tests for fresh fruits and vegetables.  
4  STRATEGIC ALLIANCES TO PROMOTE H EALTH AND TRADE  
4.1.  The regional project to prevent and control Fusarium  Tropical Ra ce 4 in banana and plantain 
crops was launched , financed by the Development and International Cooperation Fund of Chinese G/SPS/GEN/2093  
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  Taipei . In Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, this projec t will build capacities  to diagnos e diseases in 
Musaceae , including by establish ing field technology and building  laborator ies' technical capacities.  
4.2.  A Phytosanitary Commission meeting was held on Fusarium  Tropical Ra ce 4 in Musaceae  crops . 
The expert group provides technical and scientific support to national phytosanitary authorities on 
how to  prevent and manage Foc TR4. 
4.3.  In coordination with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), 
the methyl bromide fumigatio n methodology is constantly being updated.  
4.4.  An agreement between  OIRSA , the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health 
of Central America and the Dominican Republic ( SE-COMISCA ) and the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention ( CDC) was s igned to  implement a regional programme for the detection, prevention 
and control of respiratory zoono tic disease , with an emphasis on avian influenza, in Central America 
and the Dominican Republic.  
 
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