WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/629 
26 January 2006 
 
 (06-0362) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
REPORT ON ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL 
ORGANIZATION FOR PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH (OIRSA) IN 
RELATION TO THE AGREEM ENT ON THE APPLICATION 
OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
  
 The following communication, received on 24 January 2006, is being circulated at the request of the International Regional Organizati on for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA). 
 
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Training and dissemination in the area  of agricultural health and trade  
 
1. In Honduras, a workshop on epidemiology and risk  analysis was held at the request of the 
National Agricultural Health Service of the Ministry  of Agriculture and Livestock.  The aim was to 
give veterinary service officials an introduction to the knowledge and use of these epidemiological 
tools. 
2. In Nicaragua, in the context of the regiona l seminar on the application of sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures organized by the Secr etariat of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures and other international or ganizations, a practical case-study was conducted 
on the application of SPS dispute settlement procedures. 
3. The following seminars/workshops were held in  Panama:  "Preparation of a Technical Guide 
on Good Animal Production Practices (GAPP)" a nd "Training of Technical Advisers in Good 
Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufact uring Practices (GMP) and Phytosanitary 
Measures (PM)". 
4. Support was given to the University of San Ca rlos in Guatemala for the development of a 
specialized post-graduate course on international tr ade in agricultural products, through the delivery 
of lectures on:  SPS negotiations for market ac cess purposes, international standards for sanitary 
measures, food regulations and animal health regulations. 
5. In El Salvador, in the context of a seminar for small and medium-sized enterprises organized 
by the Salvadoran Exporters Corpor ation (COEXPORT), a talk was given on the topic:  "Agricultural 
Trade and Application of Sanitary an d Phytosanitary Measures for Export". 
Support for the prevention, control a nd eradication of pests and diseases  
 
6. A simulation exercise on avian influenza was organized in Honduras in cooperation with the 
national authorities and the private sector. 
7. In Guatemala, the Technical and Financia l Cooperation Agreement for the official 
recognition, implementation and operation of the Na tional Poultry Health Reference Laboratory was G/SPS/GEN/629 
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  signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livest ock and Food (MAGA), OIRSA, the University of 
San Carlos and the National P oultry Farmers' Association. 
8. Belize, Costa Rica and Panama are being supported in their efforts to declare themselves free 
of classical swine fever (CSF) vis-à-vis  the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and trading 
partners, using the services of international experts to review the sanitary condition of those countries. 
Support for dissemination of international standards 
 
9. A regional workshop was organized in Costa Rica to review the draft International Standards 
for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) released for count ry consultation in 2005 by the Secretariat of 
the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC): 
 (a) Requirements for the establishment and maintenance of pest-free areas for tephritid 
fruit flies; 
  (b) guidelines for consignments in transit;  
 (c) principles for the protection of plant health; 
  (d) requirements for the submissi on of phytosanitary treatments; 
  (e) diagnostic protocols for regulated pests.  
10. A review is being conducted of the control,  inspection and approval procedures applied by 
animal and plant health and quarantine services in countries in the OIRSA region, which have an 
impact on international trade, and their confor mity with Annex C of the WTO SPS Agreement is 
being assessed. 
11. The "Handbook of Good Manufacturing Prac tices for Honey Export Plants" and the 
"Harmonized Technical Regulation on Natural H oney Traceability" were submitted for consideration 
by the public and private sectors of the member countries. 
Strengthening national sanitary institutions to facilitate trade 
 
12. Five-year strategic plans for individual countri es, a regional harmonized plan and a proposal 
for immediate strategic actions were drawn up in coordination with the national authorities of the 
OIRSA member countries.  This planning exercise is  an important means of adapting and preparing 
the institutional agro-sanitary structures of member countries to cope with th e challenge of regional 
and international trade. 
13. Continued support is being give n to the Sub-Group on Sanitary  and Phytosanitary Measures 
in the framework of the Central American Cust oms Union, through presentation of the following 
proposals:  "Emergency Plan for Avian Influe nza", "Emergency Plan for Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy", "Emergency Plan for Foot-and- Mouth Disease", "Database for the Elaboration of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Requirements for Imports". 
Strengthening OIRSA's relations with other international agencies 
 
14. There was OIRSA participation in the meeting of the ad hoc group on epidemiological 
surveillance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (B SE) held in Fort Collins, Colorado (United 
States).  This led to the preparation of a type-B surveillance system for BSE, which was submitted for  G/SPS/GEN/629 
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  consideration to the BSE Commission, and it is hoped  that changes can be included in the regulations 
for adoption at the OIE's May 2006 meeting. 
15. At the World Meeting on Avian Influenza held  at the headquarters of the World Health 
Organization (WHO) in November, the OIRSA dele gate made a statement outlining the measures 
being taken in the Central American countries, with  OIRSA support, to prevent high pathogenic avian 
influenza, and expressed the view that Central Am erica was currently free of the disease.  Similar 
presentations were made at the Hemispheric Conf erence on the Surveillance and Prevention of Avian 
Influenza and the Ministerial Meeting on Nationa l Plans for Avian Influenza Surveillance and 
Prevention, both of which were held in Brazil in December 2005. 
16. An OIRSA panellist took part in the public meeti ng organized by the Food Safety Institute of 
the Americas (FSIA, a USDA initiative), on the th eme:  "Experiences with Existing Food Safety 
Programmes", which was held in Miami, Florida (United States). 
 
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