WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/307
13 March 2002
(02-1311)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT
ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY
MEASURES IN MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE OIRSA1
October 2001 – March 2002
Submission by the International Regional Organization for Plant
and Animal Health (OIRSA)
Introduction
1. The OIRSA is an international organization providing technical assistance in regard to plant
and animal health. It monitors, assists, and advises the governments of its eight member countries in
promoting and implementing the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures.  Accordingly, the OIRSA would like to advise you of its most important recent activities.
Training
2. Level II of our Technological Master's Degree Program in Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures began in San Salvador in February 2002 with Module I, involving the participation of
29 professionals from all the countries of Central America, and Peru.
MODULE I Leadership, Human Development and Basic Statistics (El Salvador)
MODULE II Global Economy and International Trade (Nicaragua)
MODULE III Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (Honduras)
MODULE IV Evaluation of Agrosanitary Services (Costa Rica)
MODULE V Agricultural Quarantine (Panama)MODULE VI Standardization of Agricultural Services (Guatemala)
MODULE VII Food Safety (Mexico)
Level I of the technological degree program was also completed, with a graduating class of
26 professionals from member countries. With the assistance of the USDA Animal and Plant HealthInspection Service (APHIS/USDA) and as an adjunct to Round I, a training workshop focusing on
agricultural quarantine was conducted at the Port and Airport of Miami, Florida, US, and at the land
border (Laredo and New Laredo) between Mexico and the US.
3. A course on "trade negotiations" for staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Stockbreeding of
the Republic of El Salvador was coordinated and implemented with the aim of strengthening their
negotiating skills and techniques for negotiating in the multilateral environment.
4. A total of 12 technical lectures for representatives of the public sector and private sector
(agricultural/agroindustrial) were held in the OIRSA member countries El Salvador, Nicaragua,
                                                     
1  Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.G/SPS/GEN/307
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Costa Rica, and Panama, to address a variety of issues relating to food safety, including:  systems for
controlling and ensuring the quality and safety of fresh vegetables and fruit;  Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points (HACCP);  and best practices in cultivation and manufacturing.
5. A regional seminar was conducted in El Salvador for epidemiologists and agricultural
quarantine decision-makers from the countries concerned. The seminar focused on quarantine
measures and qualitative risk analysis in the area of animal health.
6. With regard to training through the Regional Project for the Strengthening of Phytosanitary
Surveillance in Nontraditional Export Crops (VIFINEX), the following courses were held: organic
agriculture and agribusiness, integrated pest management, the pink hibiscus mealybug,
best agricultural practices, management and certification of nurseries, and food safety, inter alia .
Management of International Cooperation
7. In the context of the Puebla-Panama Plan, the Regional Project on Harmonization of Plant
and Animal Health Standards for International Trade was prepared and submitted to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This project has been deemed eligible by the Multilateral
Investment Fund(MIF)/IDB, and is currently at the approval phase.
8. The OIRSA interceded in negotiations to facilitate trade in poultry products among the
various countries of the region.
9. At the invitation of the Secretariat of Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), and
the Executive Directorship and Technical Directors of the OIRSA attended three working meetings
with representatives of the SIECA Secretariat to discuss issues pertaining to Central American plant
and animal health regulations.
Food Safety
10. Assistance was provided in connection with the drafting of a proposed "Directive on
procedures for trade in foodstuffs, beverages, and raw materials in the countries of the customs
union".  This exercise was coordinated by the El Salvador authorities with the aim of strengthening
the process for the Central American customs union.
Animal Health Measures
11. Our organization worked with the Federation of Poultry Farmers of Central America, the
Caribbean, and Panama to coordinate efforts to organize and implement a regional program for theprevention, control, and eradication of Newcastl e Disease, Avian Influenza, Pullorum/Typhoid
Disease, and Avian Infectious Laryngotracheitis.  Steps are being taken to identify the financing
required to set the project in motion.
12. The production sectors in the Central American countries were asked to review and comment
on the harmonized animal health requirements for intraregional trade in poultry and the products and
byproducts thereof.  The next step would be for the requirements to be approved by the Technical
Animal Health Committee of the OIRSA with a view to their subsequent adoption in the legislation of
each country.
13. To evaluate the degree of progress achieved in instituting the inspection, control, and
approval procedures resulting from implementation of the WTO's SPM Agreement, advisory activities
were carried out with the aim of auditing the mechanisms currently used by the pertinent authorities in
the various member countries.  The final report is currently at the drafting stage.G/SPS/GEN/307
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Plant Health Measures
14. As a result of trapping and data analysis activities, the island of Ometépe, Nicaragua, was
found to be Medfly-free and to have a low prevalence of other fruit flies.  A similar exercise
conducted in the Department of Atlántida, Honduras, yielded the same results.  These activities helpcountries to declare areas pest- and disease-free, and thereby facilitate international trade.
15. Our organization worked together with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
in the consultation process for four draft international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs)
in OIRSA member countries. One delegate attended the fourth meeting of the Interim Standards
Committee of the IPPC.  The revised draft ISPMs were:  (1) Regulated non-quarantine pests – concept
and application; (2) Guidelines for regulating wood p acking material used in international trade; (3)
Pest reporting; (4) Integrated measures for pest risk management (systems approaches).
16. With assistance from the VIFINEX, 772 farms producing specific crops in each country were
recorded and characterized, corresponding to 5000 hectares throughout the region, and pest
monitoring activities were carried out on 141 farms.
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