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From 4 to 8 November 2024, FAO organized a workshop in San José, Costa Rica, aimed at enhancing national capacities in pesticide regulation and implementing the Rotterdam Convention. A central topic addressed was pesticide registration, with Arturo Correa, an FAO consultant, leading the training on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit.

The two-day workshop provided extensive training on various aspects of pesticide registration, including strategies, decision-making, risk assessment for human health and the environment, data and guidelines, assessment methods, information sources, and mitigation measures. Registration officers from five Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries—Chile, Panama, Mexico, Paraguay, and Costa Rica—participated. Thirteen presentations were delivered, two practical workshops were conducted, and three case studies were developed, covering registration by analogy, bridging, and risk modeling, which provided essential information on the processes linked to pesticide registration.

Among the recommendations arising from the training, participants emphasized the need to continue updating the FAO toolkit, particularly regarding biopesticides (botanical, biological, semiochemical). A follow-up workshop was proposed for the Central American region, as countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic have not yet received training on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit.

As part of their commitment, participating countries agreed to contribute their own reference information sources to the toolkit and requested inclusion in the forum (DGforum of the toolkit) to maintain ongoing communication with registration officers worldwide.