VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSN #0866/01 2032124
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 212124Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9825
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC 0335
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 000866 
 
STATE PASS USAID/LAC 
COMMERCE FOR ITA GWORD 
NSC FOR DFISK 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI EAGR ETRD ECON ES
SUBJECT: HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT DISCUSSES PRODUCT SAFETY AND VISITS 
USS BOXER BENEFICIARIES 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  During a June 24-25 visit to San Salvador, El 
Salvador Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt 
hosted a Central American Product-Safety Forum, met bilaterally with 
President Saca, and visited a clinic to follow-up on the recent 
humanitarian mission of the USS Boxer.  Secretary Leavitt proposed 
the negotiation of a United States-Central American Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) on product safety that would promote 
capacity-building, the use of common standards, and certification 
for food and medical products exported to the U.S. market.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) Joining HHS Secretary Leavitt at the June 24, Central 
American Product Safety Forum in San Salvador were the Ministers of 
Health from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala; senior 
representatives of the Ministries of Health from Costa Rica and 
Panama; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials; other 
Central American Government functionaries; non-governmental 
organizations;, and U.S. and Central American private-sector 
industry representatives.  Approximately 120 people attended the 
Forum.  President Saca and Secretary Leavitt opened the event, and 
the Salvadoran Ministers of Economy and Agriculture, along with the 
Canadian Ambassador to El Salvador, attended the opening session. 
 
¶3. (U) The Forum's initial working sessions, "Fruit and Vegetables: 
Safeguarding the 'Central American' Brand" and "Minimally Processed 
Food: How the Private Sector Works Together to Preserve Quality and 
Safety," focused on food safety, primarily how to use common 
standards and certification procedures to prevent outbreaks of 
diseases like salmonella in fruits and vegetables.  Industry 
representatives from the U.S. and Central America cited the cases of 
spinach (2007), melons and tomatoes (2008) and the need for 
traceability throughout the supply chain and cooperation with 
Government regulators.  Honduran participants and others noted their 
concerns that one incident of an unsafe food or product could taint 
the image of an entire industry or an entire country's products. 
¶4. (U) The second panel on minimally processed food and the private 
sector discussed the shrimp industry, which has already begun the 
process of establishing internal standards.  Discussions centered on 
how these standards could be certified more broadly. 
¶5. (U) Between the morning and afternoon presentations, Secretary 
Leavitt reviewed the President's Action Plan on Import Safety and 
proposed negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on product 
safety between the United States, Panama, and the signatories of the 
United States-Central America-Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) 
Free-Trade Agreement, to promote capacity-building, the use of 
common standards, and certification for food and medical products. 
 
 
¶6. (U) The third session, "Consumer and Medical Products: Protecting 
Central America by Improving Standards," dealt with standards for 
ensuring the quality of active ingredients for medical products, 
including site inspection and supply-chain management.  The final 
panel, "Maintaining Stakeholder Confidence and Brand Integrity 
through Independent Certification," addressed standards and 
certification broadly, including third-party certification systems 
and a discussion of the various international standard-setting 
bodies available to do work in Central America, like the American 
National Standards Institute (ANSI). 
¶7. (U) Secretary Leavitt asked the audience for recommendations for 
the proposed MOU, which he would like to have ready for signature by 
the September PAHO Council meeting in Washington.  Participants 
suggested limiting the scope, identifying an achievable yet 
meaningful goal, and creating an adaptable framework.  Industry 
suggested focusing on two sectors: shrimp and melons, and Government 
officials requested training on the inspection of medical products. 
HHS offered to prepare a draft text of an MOU by the end of July, 
and then consult with the Governments of the other countries.  The 
Honduran Minister of Health, as head of the Central American Health 
Ministers' Council (COMISCA) for the second half of 2008, agreed to 
coordinate the negotiation of the text on behalf of the Central 
Americans.  The Central American Governments asked to invite the 
Government of Belize to participate in the negotiations if it 
desires to do so, even though it does not have a free-trade 
agreement with the United States, because it is a member of the 
Central American Integration System.  (Note: HHS will be convening 
other relevant U.S. Government Departments and agencies in 
Washington to consult on the text, as well as the U.S. Embassies in 
the countries involved.  End Note.) 
¶8. (U) Both in his private meeting with Secretary Leavitt and in his 
public remarks, President Saca called for Customs and Border 
 
Protection from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to 
open operations at Salvadoran ports.  Central American participants 
enthusiastically supported expedited U.S. Customs processing. 
Secretary Leavitt said he would take the request to DHS. The 
Secretary expressed interest in establishing an HHS Food and Drug 
Administration presence in Central America, a goal he said he 
intended to pursue before the end of calendar year 2008.   (NOTE: El 
Salvador has repeatedly requested a presence similar to what DHS 
provides at Puerto Cortes in Honduras under the Container Security 
Initiative (CSI).  However, there is an insufficient volume of 
container traffic in Acajutla to support a CSI program, and 
construction of the port at La Union is not yet complete.  END 
NOTE.) 
¶9. (U) Saca was supportive of product safety, noting, "If we want to 
play in the Big Leagues, we have to aspire to quality."  However, he 
warned that the Governments involved had to handle the issue at the 
technical level, so as to avoid a political debate over 
certification that could have negative repercussions for the United 
States. 
¶10. (U) On June 25, 2008, Secretary Leavitt and his delegation, 
including HHS Assistant Secretary of Health Joxel Garcia, head of 
the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), visited a clinic in Acajutla 
to assess the visit of the USS Boxer several weeks earlier. 
HHS/USPHS personnel were part of the ship's 1,500-member crew.  The 
Secretary spent time with local physicians, nurses and community 
health workers who had trained and practiced with members of the USS 
Boxer team, and then met with patients who had undergone surgery 
aboard the ship.  The Salvadorans expressed their appreciation for 
the USS Boxer visit and the medical training and treatment they 
received. 
¶11. (U) Secretary Leavitt's visit received national coverage by 
print and electronic media.  Also commanding a lot of press 
attention was President Saca's call for a U.S. Customs presence in 
El Salvador. 
¶12. (U) Secretary Leavitt's staff has cleared this message.