G/SPS/GEN/1679  
26 February  2019 
(19-1115) 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  2018-JANUARY  2019 
The following communication, received on 25 February  2019, is bei ng circulated at the request 
of OIRSA . 
 
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1  TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND  DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES RELATING TO 
AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND TRADE  
1.1.  A course on i nternational trade in agricultural products was held in Nicaragua for students in 
the master's degree course on management of s anitary and phytosanitary measures at the 
National Agrarian University (UNA) . 
1.2.  In cooperation with the Chinese  Taipei International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF), 
and the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) and National Agricultur e and 
Food Health and Sa fety Service, OIRSA traine d 160  citrus fruit gro wers from Francisco  Morazán 
department in integrated pest management, crop management and control of HLB disease . 
1.3.  With expert support fro m the Chinese  Taipei ICDF, the r egional diagnostic workshop on 
certification of healthy citrus plants was organized,  with the participation of l aboratory technicians 
from the A gricultur e Ministries and S ecretariats  of six countries in the OIRSA region . 
1.4.  Pesticide registration processes were updated at the regional level, with the participation of 
50 officials from 10  Central A merican countries and from Chile  and Ecuador.  
1.5.  A training programme on p revention of melon and watermelon virus diseases was held in 
Costa  Rica, targeting members of the country's Melon Growers Association, representatives of 
produc er enterprises and technical experts in the sector . 
1.6.  A national round t able on production and management of healthy p lants in Honduras was held 
in Honduras with the participation of a delegation of 60  persons, including graduates and 
undergraduates in agronomic engineering from the National Agricultur al University of Catacamas, 
Olancho . 
1.7.  An online self -management training course on food safety risk a nalysis was organized for 
327 participants from the government, private  and academic sectors, in the field  of food safety ; the 
participants came from eight  countries in the OIRSA region and South  American countries.  
1.8.  An online self -management course on training of safety auditors in p lant production s ystems 
was held for 373  participants from the government, pri vate and academic sectors, dealing with food 
safety ; the participants came from eight  countries in the OIRSA region , as well as South  American 
countries.  G/SPS/GEN/1679  
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  1.9.  In El Salvador, the Fisheries and A quaculture Development C entre (CENDEPESCA) received 
support for the  organization of a workshop on training and technical assistance regarding safety of 
fisheries and aquaculture species in El Salvador. The workshop was attended by technical experts 
involved in fishing and aquaculture from the Ministry of the Economy and t he private 
aquaculture  sector.  
1.10.   In Guatemala, recertification training was provided for SITC (International Quarantine 
Treatment Se rvice) staff on methyl bromide fumigation , in accordance with the Australian 
Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS)  standard . Four training days were organized.  
1.11.   In Honduras, staff of the Agricultural Protection Service ( SEPA) received certification training 
on methyl bromide fumigation in accordance with the Australian fumigation standard. Six training 
days were organized.  
1.12.   A trai ning course was held for SEPA staff in Guatemala on sampling methodologies, with 
support from the Mexican postgraduate college.  
1.13.   In Guatemala, training on quarantine regulations  and pr ocedures was organized for 
SEPA staff. 
1.14.   The third meeting of the pink conch working group of COPACO (Western Central Atlantic 
Fisheries Commission) was held in Panama, at which participants heard a presentation on " Pink 
conch  traceability in trade".  
1.15.   In El Salvador, a simulation of the Trazar -Agro honey production traceability mo dule was 
developed for the stages  of production, harvesting, receipt and batch packaging of honey in two of 
the main exports plants.  
1.16.   The seventh qualification course for bovine traceability operators in Guatemala provided 
training for 29 new operators with  profiles as private veterinary doctors, farm managers, producers 
and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA).  
1.17.   In Belize, a briefing on " Apicultural traceability, certification and market access" was organized 
in the context of the Belize Apicultural Symposium and Exhibition, with the participation of more 
than 100 bee -keepers and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Environment, 
Sustainable Development and Immigration (MAFFESDI).  
1.18.   A third training day wa s held in Guatemala, f or an official delegation of 44  veterinary doctors,  
on the strategy for progressive control of brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis and the c orresponding 
procedural manuals . 
1.19.   An online self -management training course was held on epidemi ological surveillance in shrimp 
farming, with 123 participants from the public and private sectors and academic circles, drawn from 
OIRSA and other countries.  
1.20.   An online self -managed course was held on apicultural  health and diagnostics for 
130 professional s from the public and private sectors.  
1.21.   A honey f acility production simulation (T razar-Agro IT platform/El Salvador apicultural 
module) was organized in the VAPE enterprise, in El Salvador, with the participation of staff from 
the Ministry of Agriculture an d Livestock (MAG).  
2  SUPPORT FOR THE HARM ONIZATION AND EQUIVA LENCE PROCESS  
2.1.  OIRSA continued working to improve the regional quarantine early warning system, which 
issues a warning if quarantine pests are intercepted at border checkpoints of OIRSA member 
count ries. 
2.2.  The Central American Technical Regulation on Veterinary Drugs was updated; the regulation 
governs good manufacturing and labelling practices.  G/SPS/GEN/1679  
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  2.3.  A technical evaluation of the MAGA Animal Health Laboratory in Guatemala was performed in 
order to consolida te it as a national reference laboratory for the diagnosis of brucellosis, with support 
from OIE.  
2.4.  In El Salvador, in coordination with the MAG Veterinary Services, four socialization day courses 
were held on the proposal for a Central American Technical Re gulation (RTCA) on brucellosis and 
bovine tuberculosis, for the benefit of the country's livestock associations and cooperatives.  
2.5.  The OIRSA Ad Hoc Group for revi sion of the Terrestrial Animal H ealth Code held a meeting in 
order to review the proposed amend ments to the 2018 edition of the C ode. 
3  PREVENTION, CONTROL AND ERADICATION ACTI VITIES (PROGRAMMES O R 
CAMPAIGNS)  
3.1.  The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) of El Salvador received support for the work 
of monitoring and research on locusts in the munici pality of Tecoluca, San Vicente, and producers 
were given notice to take necessary measures to deal with the inciden ce of the pest in maize and 
bean crops.  
3.2.  In collaboration with FAO, a simulation exercise was conducted in El Salvador for the prevention 
of banana fusarium wilt disease (Foc TR4), which involved detection at quarantine points, 
monitoring, diagnosis, elimination of outbreaks and declaration of emergency. There w ere some 
90 participants, including local producers, technical experts and national authorities.  
3.3.  The emergency plan for HLB control was concluded in Honduras, which seeks to reverse the 
impact of the disease and raise production of oranges from 110,000 to 250,000  tonnes . The 
producers also received training in certification of nurseries, handling and safe use of pesticides, 
farming practi ces, soil analysis, fertilization and leaf analysis in order to remedy crop deficiencies.  
3.4.  In Honduras, OIRSA, the Chinese Taipei ICDF and SAG provided technical assistance to 
mandarin producers in the muni cipalities of Cedros and San Ignacio,  in the department of 
Francisco  Morazán, on the use of pesticides and calibration of spraying equipment.  
3.5.  Panama was provided with support in the form of training and technical and operational 
assistance to help it iden tify approximately 100,000 bo vine animals and register 
1,500  establishments, in the context of supplementary activities relating to health alerts by the 
veterinary services of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA).  
3.6.  Support for the preparation of instructional material t o prevent the entry of African swine f ever 
(ASF) into the region.  
3.7.  The veterinary services of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua were provided with 
material to strengthen the epidemiological surveillance and control of po pulations of vampire bats 
in the affected and high risk areas.  
3.8.  Monoclonal conjugates were purchased for the veterinary services of Guatemala and 
El Salvador, to be used in the diagnosis of rabies by immunofluorescence.  
3.9.  El Salvador received support for the purchase of the Rose Bengal antigen (sieve test) for the 
diagnosis of bovine brucellosis and tuberculosis in the field, as well as for the purcha se of 
3,000  doses of bovine PPD and 1,000 doses of avian PPD.  
3.10.   Action was taken to step up the prevention of Low  Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) H5N2, 
in the countries of the region, through the provision of inputs for epidemiological surveillance and 
laboratory diagnostics, as well as the printing of instructional material on the disease.  G/SPS/GEN/1679  
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  4  STRENGTHENING OF NAT IONA L INSTITUTIONS IN OR DER TO FACILITATE TR ADE 
4.1.  In Honduras OIRSA and SENASA verified the status of Mediterranean fruit fly -free areas, as 
institutions that have been working since 2002 in the programme for maintenance of  Mediterranean 
fruit fly-free status in  the Aguan  Valley.  
4.2.  Member countries received support in accessing the University of Georgia 's platform for the 
use of the Distance D iagnostics through Digital Imaging system.  
4.3.  The sampling protocol for the determination of cadmium levels in cocoa beans was developed 
and made available to m ember countries.  
4.4.  Honduras's official laboratory received support for the purchase of inputs and reagents for the 
process of validation and subsequent extension of the scope of accreditation for the following 
methodologies: (a) accreditation of screening methods for analysis of nitroimidazoles and colouring 
matters in farmed shrimp and tilapia; (b) accreditation of screening methods for analysis of 
trenbolone, zeranol and clenbuterol in bovine meat; (c) implementation of a co nfirmatory method 
for analysis of nitrofurans in farmed shrimp and tilapia.  
4.5.  In Honduras, the National C ouncil on Traceability (CONART), of which OIRSA is a member, was 
sworn in.  
4.6.  Provision of laboratory equipment to strengthen monitoring of antimicrobial re sistance in 
Guatemala, Honduras and Belize.  
4.7.  Support and technical advice to Panama in compiling a dossier to apply to OIE for the 
international recognition of classical swine fever.  
5  STRATEGIC ALLIANCES FOR THE PROMOTION OF  HEALTH AND TRADE  
5.1.  OIRSA participat ed in the 42nd annual meeting of the North American Plant Protection 
Organization (NAPPO).  
5.2.  An agreement was signed between OIRSA, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food 
(MAGA) of Guatemala and the Association of Independent Banana Producers, for t he prevention and 
control of banana and plantain pests, which seeks to prevent musaceae production being affected 
by pests and diseases, such as Foc  TR4 and others.  
5.3.  An interinstitutional coordination meeting was held between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), 
OSPESCA ( Central  America  Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization ) and OIRSA, at which discussions 
took place on the synergies between the institutions in promoting conservation, the fight against 
illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and the traceabil ity of fishery products.  
5.4.  Establishment of technical cooperation with the IICA to strengthen the capacity of official 
representatives of the Central American countries in the area of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  
5.5.  Joint OIRSA -OIE activities were defined an d established for 2019.  
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