WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/907 
25 February 2009 
 
 (09-0962) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL ORGANIZATION 
FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH (OIRSA) RELATING TO THE AGREEMENT ON 
THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Report to the 44
th Meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures , 
25 and 26 February 2009  
   The following communication, received on 23 Fe bruary 2009, is being circulated at the 
request of the International Regional Organi zation for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA)
. 
 
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1. Specific support for agricultural production chains 
1. The International Regional Organization fo r Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA), in 
conjunction with national sanitary and phytosanitary authorities and the private sector, has continued 
to implement sanitary and phytosanitary programme s in support of agri-food chains.  The following 
action has been taken over the past three months: 
Honduras  
 
2. With a view to supporting the bovine produc tion chain, a national programme for the 
prevention, control and eradication of bovine bru cellosis and tuberculosis was developed, with a 
special focus on the milk-producing areas of Atlántid a, Yoro, Olancho and Cortéz.  This programme 
is a joint effort by the authorities of the Nationa l Agricultural Health Service (SENASA), OIRSA and 
the private sector. 
Nicaragua  
 
3. In the framework of the phytosanitary progr amme in support of the fruit and vegetable 
production chain, the following action was undertaken: 
• OIRSA has continued to grant financial support to, and provide technical follow-up 
for, the citrus leprosis and fruit fly control programmes. 
• Technical assistance was provided to the Mi nistry of Agriculture, Livestock and 
Forestry (MAGFOR) to enable the area to th e north of Lake Xolotlán to be declared 
free from Ceratitis capitata.  
• OIRSA has continued to provide technical  and financial support for pink bollworm 
monitoring to allow Nicaragua to maintain its status as a country free from this pest. 
• OIRSA has continued to provide technical a nd financial support for locust monitoring 
and control. G/SPS/GEN/907 
Page 2  
 
  El Salvador
 
 4. With a view to supporting the bovine produc tion chain, a national programme for the 
prevention, control and eradication of bovine brucellosis and tubercul osis was developed and 
officially launched.  This programme, which will be im plemented at national level, is a joint effort by 
the authorities of the Directorate-General of Plant a nd Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Livestock (DGSVA/MAG), OIRSA and the milk producers' association PROLECHE. 
5. Within the framework of the programme in support of the pig production chain, the 
authorities of the national veterinary services will shortly be declaring El Salvador free from classical swine fever, mainly as a result of a successful pr evention, control and eradication programme which 
benefited from technical and financial assistance from OIRSA. 
Guatemala
 
 6. Within the framework of the h ealth programme in support of the vegetable production chain, 
OIRSA organized a workshop on the development of a phytosanitary and safety programme for 
potato production.  The workshop, which took place on 16 and 17 October 2008, was attended by 
representatives of the public, private and academic sectors.  This programme, which will receive 
support from OIRSA, will facilitate the prevention and c ontrol of pests that restrict international trade 
in potatoes from Guatemala. 
7. With regard to fisheries and aquaculture, a seminar-workshop was held on 3 December 2008 
on the development of a health programme in supp ort of the fisheries and aquaculture production 
chain and on the restructuring of this chain.  This  programme is a joint effort by the Ministries of 
Agriculture, the Project in support of the Central American fisheries and aquaculture integration 
process (PRIPESCA) of the Organization for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the 
Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) and OIRSA. 
2. Training, technical assistance and dissemination activities relating to agricultural health 
and trade 
8. In Honduras, within the framework of the International Congress on Integrated Pest 
Management (IPM), hosted by the El Zamorano Pan- American School of Agriculture, a lecture was 
given on the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) and its relationship with integrated pest management.  Par ticular attention was drawn to the following issues:  
international phytosanitary regulations and market a ccess;  agricultural health threats to the region;  
IPM and market access, the relationship between IPM and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs);  
the importance of GMPs to market access;  new GMP-related regulations;  the importance of regulations to trade;  and the regional role of OIRSA in sanitary and phytosanitary issues. 
9. In Honduras, an inspection visit was organized , in conjunction with SENASA specialists, to 
Cantaloupe melon exporting companies with a view to  preparing these companies for an inspection by 
the US Food and Drug Administration.  The various e fforts in this regard resulted in the reopening of 
the US market. 
10. In El Salvador, as part of the celebrations for the 15
th anniversary of the Department of 
Veterinary Medicine of the University of El Salv ador, a lecture was given on the agricultural health 
risks and threats to the region.  It highlighted the f actors that lead to an in creased risk of quarantine 
pests and exotic diseases being introduced into th e OIRSA region, the type of problems involved and 
the expected economic impact.  G/SPS/GEN/907 
 Page 3 
 
 
  11. In El Salvador, OIRSA organized a prelimin ary inspection for a tuna-processing company and 
a course on Good Manufacturing Practices (G MPs), Sanitation Standard Operating 
Procedures (SSOPs) and the Hazard Analysis Critical  Control Point (HACCP) system for 75 fishing 
industry specialists from the departme nts of Usulután and La Unión. 
12. In Guatemala, training in inspection, GMPs , SSOPs and the HACCP system was provided for 
30 specialists from fish farms which export to th e European Union and the United States and for 
officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Liv estock and Food (MAGA) working in the area of 
hydrobiological resources. 
13. In Guatemala, OIRSA supported MAGA authorities during the inspection of 
four establishments authorized to export fishery and aquaculture products fo r human consumption to 
the European Union. 
14. In Guatemala, in conjunction with the Span ish Agency for International Cooperation, 
OIRSA coordinated and participated in a works hop on European Community regulations on fishery 
and aquaculture products in relation to trade, pur suant to the EU-Central American Association 
Agreement. 
15. In Panama, OIRSA provided training in inte rnational and regional legislation on fishery 
product safety for 30 officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and fisheries institutes of 
Central American countries. 
16. In the Dominican Republic, OIRSA provides support for the national authorities in their fight 
against the recent outbreak of the Huanglongbing ("citrus greening") disease by offering technical 
assistance from international and regional experts,  which has enabled a control and eradication 
strategy to be developed for the disease. 
3. Support for the regional harmonization process 
17. In Nicaragua, with the support of the OIE, OIRSA organized a regional technical meeting to 
discuss draft amendments to international animal  health standards, such as the OIE Code and 
Manuals. 
4. Support for risk analysis 
18. In Nicaragua, fact-sheets we re prepared for the pests Acidovorax avenae  (Schaad et al., 1978) 
Willems et al., 1992, a bacterium which attacks Cucurbitaceae, and Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire , a 
beetle which damages trees. 
5. Strengthening of national institutions in order to facilitate trade 
19. In Honduras and the Dominican Republic, OIRSA provides continued support for the national 
sanitary and phytosanitary committees. 
20. A technical assessment was conducted of the performance of and the quarantine measures 
applied by the border checkpoints of the Central American Customs Union, Belize and Panama.  A detailed report was submitted to the Committee of Mi nisters of the Region (CIRSA), which led to the 
establishment of an ongoing assessment programme, an early warning system and a plan to strengthen 
quarantine services. G/SPS/GEN/907 
Page 4  
 
  6. Strategic alliances for promoting health and trade 
21. A cooperation agreement was signed by the Fede ration of Chambers and Associations of 
Exporters of Central America and Panama (FEC AEXCA) and OIRSA to coordinate cooperation 
efforts aimed at improving access for the region's agricultural export offer by means of actions ensuring compliance with international sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. 
22. Within the framework of the AgroCafta pr ogramme, OIRSA has provided technical support 
for the preparation of technical data sheets (tec hnical requirements and SPS measures) in respect of 
access to the US market for fresh  and processed products which are already being exported or which 
have export potential. 
23. As a partner organization, OIRSA has held coor dination meetings with the trade institutions 
and associations coming together under the region's ch ambers of exporters in order to support the 
implementation of Phase IV of the Al-Invest initiativ e.  This programme is a joint effort between 
interested European parties and Central American business organizations with a view to facilitating 
the integration of small and medium -sized enterprises in the region. 
24. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) pr e-approved the project on regional standards 
and public capacity-building for the development and implementation of bovine traceability systems 
which are compatible between Central American co untries, the objective of which is to establish the 
regional bases (conceptual, legal and technological)  and strengthen national public capacity to 
subsequently develop and implement such systems. 
7. Strengthening of inter-institutional relations with other international bodies 
25. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) project on the strengthening of the 
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) preven tion mechanism and adoption of good animal 
feeding practices is now underway, thanks to the co llective efforts of the FAO, OIRSA and national 
authorities.  
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