Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - 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, 25 and 26 March 2014

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,
25 AND 26 MARCH 2014

The following communication, received on 18 March 2014, is being circulated at the request of OIRSA.

 

_______________

 

 

TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND TRADE

1.1.  Between October 2013 and January 2014, as part of the Harmonized System for Bovine Traceability programme implemented by OIRSA with the support of the Inter‑American Development Bank (IDB), training was given to producers and technicians from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic to raise awareness of the importance of implementing an official bovine traceability system. Training was provided on the use of official individual identification devices and radio frequency‑operated electronic device readers.

1.2.  From October 2013 to February 2014, under the auspices of the OIRSA‑Chinese Taipei agreement "Regional Health Programme for Backyard Poultry (PRESAAT)", 15 training events on poultry management and health were organized for small‑scale producers in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.

1.3.  Officials from the OIRSA Regional Agricultural Quarantine Programme organized two training courses on quarantine treatment for 70 technicians from the Guatemalan International Quarantine Treatment Service (SITC).

1.4.  From 14 to 18 October 2013, in the district of Aguadulce, Panama, OIRSA, in coordination with the Food Safety Department (DEPA) of the Ministry of Health (MINSA), gave a seminar in preparation for the FVO/DG-SANCO audit on veterinary drug residues and contaminants in live animals and animal products. Fifty-eight people, including technicians and producers, participated in the event.

1.5.  Under Mexico's OIRSA/SENASICA agreement, a workshop on quality management and the validation of analytical methods was held from 14 to 18 October 2013 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. It was attended by representatives from animal health laboratories in the nine countries of the region.

1.6.  In Panama, from 21 to 25 October 2013, OIRSA officials made inspection visits to six aquaculture sector companies in relation to the implementation of the HACCP system and veterinary drug residues and contaminants.