G/SPS/GEN/1647  
10 October  2018 
(18-6284) Page: 1/6 
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  
JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2018  
The following communication, received on 9 October  2018, is being circulated at the request of 
OIRSA . 
 
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1  TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMIN ATION ACTIVITIES RELATING TO 
AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND TRADE  
1.1.  With support from OIRSA and the  General Secretariat of the Andean Community (CAN), the 
Agency for Phytosanitary and Animal Health Regulation and Control of Ecuador (Agrocalidad) 
organized the first  international workshop on the use of pheromones for pest control in sustainable 
agriculture . 
1.2.  A technical tour  was organized in Honduras with officials from the Ministry of Agricultural 
Development of Panama (MIDA) to demonstrate the integrated management of Huanglongbing 
(HLB) using methodology developed by the Chinese Taipei  ICDF.  
1.3.  An interinstitutional task force was established to support the transfer of technology to citrus 
producers and nursery workers with a view to addressing the effects of HLB in Ni caragua . 
1.4.  OIRSA presented a global and regional strategy for preventing the introduction of the pest 
Fusarium oxysporum  f. sp. cubense  – Tropical Race 4 , at a seminar organized by the 
Brazilian  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) . 
1.5.  A regiona l training workshop on new diagnostic techniques  for citrus pathogens  such as citrus 
variegated chlorosis (CVC) , Leprosis  (CiLV), Xanthomonas axonopodis  pv. citri and the citrus tristeza 
virus (CTV) , was organized for laboratory technicians from the Central American region . 
1.6.  Support was provided to facilitate the participation of nine professionals from phytosanitary 
risk analysis units in the first risk analysis forum -workshop for Trogoderma granarium , a quarantine 
pest for the OIRSA region . The event  was held in Mexico . 
1.7.  OIRSA helped the official veterinary services of El Salva dor to prepare and finalize 
two procedural manuals for the progressive control of b rucellosis and  tuberculosis 
(June-August  2018). 
1.8.  Three training workshops on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were held in Guatemala  within the 
framework of the AMR prevention and control network . The 96 beneficiaries of these events included 
staff from the  Ministries of Agriculture and Health, v eterinary drug manufacturing compan ies, 
professional associations , and universities . G/SPS/GEN/1647  
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  1.9.  As part of  the project on the accreditation of diagnostic tests for animal diseases 
(STDF/PG/495), a theoretical and practical course  on serological techniques for the diag nosis of 
brucellosis was held at  the OIE reference laboratory in Costa Rica . Training was provided for 
laboratory representatives from Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and  the 
Dominican Republic . 
1.10.   OIRSA helped to raise awareness of the Programme for the Progressive C ontrol of Brucellosis 
and T uberculosis through presentations and lectures at meetings of trade unions and associations , 
and field day events , in El Salvador and  Guatemala.  135 livestock producers attended these events 
with a view to participation in the pr ogramme.  
1.11.   A first regional symposium  was organized on challenges and opportunities in respect of the 
new approach for good manufacturing practices for veterinary drugs . Ninety-three people from 
Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica  and Panama took part in the event, 
including heads of the veterinary drug registries of Ministries and Secretariats of A griculture and 
veterinary drug industry personnel . 
1.12.   A presentation on vesicular diseases was organized for producers in the department o f Rivas, 
in Nicaragua . Another presentation on how to deal with report s of suspected transboundary disease s 
was attended by officials from the Institute for Agricultural and Livestock Protection and Health 
(IPSA) . In total, 44 participants attended these e vents . 
1.13.   A virtual  training course on bee heath and the diagnosis of bee diseases was organized for 
75 professionals from the Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock of the nine cou ntries in the region 
and other South American c ountries, and professionals from the beekeeping sector . 
1.14.   A second training workshop for 44 veterinarians from the National Programme for the 
Progressive Control and Eradication of Bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis was held at  the faculty of 
veterinary medicine and animal husbandry o f the San Carlos University in Guatemala . 
1.15.   In Honduras,  staff from the International Quarantine Treatment Service (SITC) and the 
Agricultural Protection Service (SEPA) were recertified in methyl bromide fumigation in accordance 
with the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS)  standard.  
1.16.   In Panama, SITC staff received training on methyl bromide fumigation  in accordance with the 
AFAS standard,  and on the calibration of concentration -monitoring equipment . 
1.17.   In the Dominican Repub lic, SITC staff received training on methyl bromide fumigation in 
accordance with the AFAS standard . 
1.18.   Staff from phytosanitary diagnostic laboratories in OIRSA member countries received training 
on identifying molluscs, with particular emphasis on the giant  African snail . 
1.19.   As part of their safety diploma training, officials from Ministries and Secretariats of Agriculture 
in the OIRSA region took part in virtual tutored course s entitled  "Introduction to food safety " and 
"Good aquaculture practices aboard small  artisanal fishing vessels , and good manufacturing 
practices ". 
1.20.   A workshop on aquatic  health and fisheries  was held in El Salvador  with the support of Mexico's 
National Agriculture and Food Health, Safety and Quality Service  (SENASICA ). Participants included  
technical staff from the Directorate -General of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development 
(CENDEPESCA) of the Ministry of A griculture and Livestock (MAG) , and tilapia and shrimp producers . 
1.21.   In El Salvador, OIRSA disseminated  a diagnostic study on the safe handling of artisanal fishery 
products throughout  the harvesting, unloading , processing and transportation process  and in 
collection centres and  points of sale . It also disseminated a handbook of good practices applicable 
to artisanal fishery products throughout the chain, from harvesting through to po ints of sale.  
1.22.   Two officials  from the National Laboratory for Residue Analysis (LANAR) of the Honduran 
Ministry of Agriculture  were provided with training on analysing pathogens i n foods of animal and G/SPS/GEN/1647  
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  plant origin . The training activity  took place at SENASICA's TECAMAC and  CENAPA laboratories i n 
Mexico . 
1.23.   In collaboration with  SENASICA (Mexico), the following videoconferences were organized for 
countries in the region : "Hygiene for m eat industry workers and manufacturers "; "Good practices 
for the prescription and use  of pharmaceutical products in the production of food of animal origin" ; 
"The role of veterinarians in the inspection of meat processing plants (Federal Inspection Type (T IF) 
establishments)" ; and "Updating the scheme for the certification and recognition of contaminant risk 
reduction systems (SRRC) ". 
1.24.   A working group on  climatic variables and agricultural health (Mesa de Variables Climáticas y 
Sanidad Agropecuaria ) met within the framework of the Central American Regional Climate Forum . 
A bulletin was produced containing the climate outlook for August to October for the nine countries 
in the region and explaining its  implications in terms of agricultural health . 
1.25.   Technical support was provided to  the Honduran Coffee Institute ( IHCAFE ) to facilitate  a 
technical analysis of the requirements for implementing  a traceability system , and the design and 
preparation of forms pertaining to coffee product ion. 
1.26.   A training course  for bovine traceability operators  was held in Petén, Guatemala . 
Nineteen  new operators completed the course . 
1.27.   El Salvador hosted its first course for bovine traceability operators . Twenty -one operators 
received accreditation . 
1.28.   Panama was provided with s upport in the form of training and technical and operational 
assistance  to help it identify 52,000 bovine animals and register 1,160 establishments as part of the 
country's bovine brucellosis eradication programme . 
1.29.   Training was provided to veterinarians un der the Trazar -Agro bovine health module as part  of 
a course on the harmonization of criteria and certification for the Programme for the Progressive 
Control of Bovine Brucellosis and T uberculosis . The event was held with the support of OIRSA and 
the Unive rsity of  San Carlos (Guatemala) . 
1.30.   A workshop on the plan for the gradual implementation of traceability and health programmes 
in the livestock (poultry, bovine animals and swine ) and aquaculture sector s was held  with a view 
to the drafting  of Government Decisions on the creation of the National Syste m for Agricultural, 
Aquaculture  and Fishery Traceability (SINART -GT) and the Regulation on the movement of animal s 
and agricultural, aquaculture  and fishery products and by -products.  
2  SUPPORT FOR  THE HARMONIZATION AND EQUIVALENCE PROCESS  
2.1.  OIRSA helped to organize six working sessions of the National Veterinary Drug Committee . The 
purpose of these sessions was to harmonize criteria for the interpretation and implementation of the 
Central American Te chnical  Regulation on veterinary drugs . The beneficiaries of these sessions 
included staff from veterinary drug registries  and industries manufacturing, importing and marketing 
these products  in Central America . 
2.2.  OIRSA is working with eight countries in the  region to validate regulations for the prevention, 
control and eradication of the Newcastle disease virus and bovine  brucellosis and tuberculosis.  
2.3.  The Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA)  was provided with the 
second version s of the procedural m anuals  for the National Programme for the Progressive Control 
of Brucellosis and Tuberculosis . 
2.4.  OIRSA took part in the negotiations of the Honduras -Guatemala -El Salvador customs union  as 
part of the working group on sanitary and phytosan itary measures . 
2.5.  OIRSA worked with Honduras on the drafting of Executive Decree PCM-032-2018, which 
establishes the National Syste m for Agricultural, Aquaculture  and Fishery Traceability and 
Registration ( SINART ) under the  National Agriculture and Food Health and Safety Service (SENASA).  G/SPS/GEN/1647  
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  2.6.  The SENASA -SAG-OIRSA  technical cooperation agreement for the administration and operation 
of the National Syste m for Agricultural, Aquaculture  and Fishery Traceability and Registration 
(SINA RT) was signed.  
3  PREVENTION, CONTROL AND ERADICATION ACTIVITIES (PROGRAMMES OR 
CAMPAIGNS)  
3.1.  Advisors from the  Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) were 
provided with support to conduct a  drone assessment of the cultivated areas affect ed by the eruption 
of the Volcán de Fuego  volcano on 3 June 2018. 
3.2.  In Honduras, a  simulation exercise on the prevention of  banana fusarium wilt disease Foc TR4  
was carried out  with a view to evaluating the response capacity of the surveillance, quarantine and 
diagnostic services in the event of a n outbreak of the disease in the country . 
3.3.  Citrus HLB  continues to be controlled and managed in Sonaguera, Honduras, with help from 
the Honduran Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) a nd technical assistance  provided by the 
Chinese Taipei ICDF . Fifty-five producers have received assistance as part of the immediate response 
to HLB damage to orange crops . 
3.4.  OIRSA worked with Panama's Mi nistry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) to carry out 
simulation exercises on citrus HLB and banana fusarium wilt disease TR4 in Panama . The aim of 
these exercises was to evaluate the country's capacity to detect, diagnose and respond to an 
outbreak of un recorded quarantine pests . 
3.5.  OIRSA continued to support and monitor epidemiological surveillance activities for classical 
swine fever and related diseases in El Salvador, Nicaragua , Panama  and the Dominican Republic . 
3.6.  Following Panama's declaration of emergen cy due to the detection of cases of brucellosis in 
provinces bordering Costa Rica, OIRSA provided support to implement an emergency plan and 
supplied indirect ELISA kits to the Animal Health Directorate of the MIDA to assist in diagnosing 
brucellosis . 
3.7.  OIRSA continues to support vesicular disease surveillance in countries in the CA -4 region by 
supplying  bottles of glycerol phosphate , cool boxes, specimen bags and special containers . 
3.8.  A refresher course on African swine fever was held in Guatemala for 70 veterinarians from the 
official, private and academic sectors . 
3.9.  Two sanitary alert bulletins were prepared, one on African swine fever and the other on 
foot-and-mouth disease , with general recommendations on how to prevent these diseases in the 
countries of  the region.  
4  STRENGTHENING OF NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE TRADE  
4.1.  A meeting on phytosanitary surveillance in coffee production was held with officials from the 
National Agriculture and Food Health and Safety Service (SENASA) and the  Honduran  Coffee 
Institute (IHCAFE) . Issues raised included the need to work on pesticide residue analysis and 
measurement in coffee production in Honduras, as well as technical capacity -building in the country . 
4.2.  The Honduran national phytosanitary surveillance system , which SENASA implements in its 
various plant health progr ammes, was reviewed and updated . There was a particular need  to update 
the application of the climatic variables and agricultural health platform that allows for the analysis 
or interpretatio n of information generated in the field by the national surveillance system . 
4.3.  OIRSA developed a regional aquatic health project for farmed products with high commercial 
value (shrimp and tilapia) , with a view to establishing an epidemiological surveillance system that 
would favour  beneficiary countries in terms of increased access to domestic, regional and 
international markets , and food safety . G/SPS/GEN/1647  
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  4.4.  In El Salvador, OIRSA is working on the registration of beekeepers, apiaries and beekeeping 
establishments using  the Trazar -Agro platform . Part of this activity consists of providing training on 
the use of the platform (agricultural registration and apicultural traceability modules) . 
4.5.  Support was provided for the accreditation of the Regional Animal Health Reference La boratory 
(LARRSA)  in accordance with the requirements of standard  COGUANOR NTG ISO/IEC 17025 
(haem agglutination inhibition for  Newcastle  disease , avian influenza ; real-time PCR for classical 
swine fever ). 
4.6.  OIRSA organized a  regular meeting of the Regional Technical Committee on Poultry Health , at 
which a guide to biosafety evaluation on poultry layer farms was approved . Participants included 
heads of Central American poultry health programmes and poultry industry representatives from 
each country . 
4.7.  A canine unit for non -intrusive quarantine inspection was established in Guatemala . 
4.8.  OIRSA continues to support member countries in the area of distance diagnostics through 
digital imaging (DDDI) , with a view to  reducing the time taken to diagnose pests intercepted at 
border control points . 
4.9.  A course on the development and discussion of Codex Alimentarius standards and related 
processes was held in Guatemala with a view to increasing  active and effective private and academic 
sector participation in the National Codex Committee . 
4.10.   A technical cooperation agreement concerning  the administration and operation of the 
National System for Agricultural, Aquaculture and Fishery Traceability and Registration of El Salvador 
(SINART -SV) has been concluded between OIRSA and the Salvadoran Ministry of Agriculture and 
Livestock (MAG) . 
5  STRATEGIC ALLIANCES FOR THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND TRADE  
5.1.  OIRSA participated in  the working group on European regional regulations for HLB, in which 
technical staff with extensive experience in the preven tion and control of citrus HLB  provide d 
recommendations for the development of European regulations on the disease . Experts from the 
United States, Argentina, France , Portugal, Spain and Central America (through  OIRSA ) participate d 
in this working group . 
5.2.  OIRSA also participated in the 2018 International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Regional 
Workshop for Latin America , an event at which draft International Standards f or Phytosanitary 
Measures (ISPMs) were presented and examined.  
5.3.  A framework agreement on institutional cooperation was concluded wi th the University of 
California, Davis  (UC Davis) . This agreement covers cooperation on issues relating to research and 
training i n respect of citrus pests, including leprosis and HLB . 
5.4.  A technical cooperation ag reement was signed by OIRSA and the Chinese Taipei ICDF with a 
view to improving the certification of healthy citrus plants in Central America through Ministries of 
Agriculture . 
5.5.  Implementation of the Regional Project for the Accreditation of Laboratory Dia gnostic Tests for 
Animal Diseases (STDF/PG/495) is continuing in eight countries in  the region . 
5.6.  The low-pathogenicity H5N2 avian influenza eradication project is being implemented for 
El Salvador and  Guatemala.  
5.7.  Within the framework of the MAGA -OIRSA techni cal administrative cooperation agreement  on 
the N ational Programme for the Progressive Control of Brucellosis and T uberculosis , progress has 
been made in respect of the strengthening of diagnostic capacity, coordination with the 
National  Traceability Programme , technical training for official and private veterinarians, and the 
elimination of cattle that test positively for these diseases . G/SPS/GEN/1647  
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  5.8.  OIRSA participated in an International Cargo Cooperative Biosecurity Arrangement (ICCBA) 
workshop to review propose d international standards for phytosanitary measures.  
5.9.  OIRSA helped organize t he IV Regional Meeting of I nternational Organizations for Integration 
and C ooperation in Agricultural Health and Food S afety. The outcomes of this event included the 
forming  of alliances with OSPESCA with a view to participation in the regional aquatic health project , 
and with PAHO /PANAFTOSA with a view to the publication  of a veterinary handbook on taking and 
forwarding samples . 
5.10.   The regulations on climatic variables and agricultural health were updated and approved for 
implementation . They establish the bodies, roles and responsibilities  of the various  stakeholders, 
with a view to ensuring that clear and timely climate and epidemiological data is provided to 
Ministries an d Secretariats of Agriculture for decision -making purposes . 
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