G/SPS/GEN/1719  
 
9 July 2019 
(19-4543) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
REPORT OF INTERNATIO NAL PLANT PROTECTION  
CONVENTION (IPPC)  
The followi ng communication, received on 8 July 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
International Plant Protection Convention secretariat  (IPPC).  
 
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This report provides an overview of the main activities of the International Plant Protection 
Organization (IPPC) Secretariat since the last SPS Committee meeting in March 2019.  
1  GOVERNANCE AND STRAT EGIES  
Highlights from the 14th Commission on Phytosanitar y Measures (CPM -14, 2019)  
1.1.  The content of the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020 -2030 was endorsed in advance of the formal 
adoption during CPM -15 (2020).  
1.2.  The following two International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) were adopted: 
ISPM 43 ( Require ments for the use of fumigation as a phytosanitary measure ) and the 2017 
amendments to ISPM 5 ( Glossary of phytosanitary terms ). 
1.3.  The CPM -14 (2019) noted the adoption of six diagnostic protocols by the Standards Committee 
(SC) on behalf of the CPM.  
1.4.  The CPM -14 also adopted the CPM recommendation R -8: Preparing to use high -throughput 
sequencing (HTS) technologies as a diagnostic tool for phytosanitary purposes . 
1.5.  Some of the issues discussed at CPM -14 were: commodity and pathways standards, how to 
move forward o n surveillance and the concept of pest outbreak alert and response systems.  
2  STANDARD SETTING  
2.1.  The Standards Committee (SC) and the SC working group met in May 2019.  
2.2.  Work is continuing on the development of the draft ISPM on Pest risk management for 
quaranti ne pests . 
2.3.  A second meeting of the Focus Group on Commodity and Pathway Standards took place in June 
to draft an over -arching concept standard for commodity and pathway standards.  
2.4.  An Expert Working Group (EWG) for Audit in the phytosanitary context  met in J une, in Toronto, 
Canada.  
2.5.  A call for experts for an EWG focused on the revision of ISPM 12 ( Phytosanitary certificates ) in 
relation to re -export was made, with plans to hold this EWG in the fourth quarter of 2019.  
2.6.  The consultation period began on 1 July 201 9 for 13 draft ISPMs, including phytosanitary 
treatments and diagnostic protocols, and one CPM recommendation on "Safe provision of food and G/SPS/GEN/1719  
 
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  other aid to prevent the introduction of plant pests during an emergency situation ". The consultation 
period will r emain open until 30 September 2019 (first and second consultation).  
2.7.  The annual meeting of the Technical Panel on Phytosanitary Treatments took place in early July 
2019, at International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna.  
3  IMPLEMENTATION AND C APACI TY DEVELOPMENT  
3.1.  The Implementation and Development Committee (IC) met in May 2019.  
3.2.  The IPPC Guide on Pest Risk Communication has been completed and the IPPC Guide on Pest 
Free Areas will be finalized shortly, both will be published on the IPPC 's website.  
3.3.  A workshop for training facilitators on the Beyond Compliance Tools has been completed in 
June 2019 as part of the Standard Trade and Development Facility funded project "Rolling out 
Systems Approach Globally ". 
3.4.  A High -Level Symposium for One Belt Countries  was held in May 2019 as part of the China 
IPPC South -South Cooperation project.  
3.5.  The IPPC secretariat supported a Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation in Nicaragua.  
3.6.  Seven IPPC Regional Workshops are being coordinated and will take place of the next two 
months . 
3.7.  Calls were made for experts for: an IC Sub -group on Dispute Avoidance and Settlement, the 
development of an IPPC Guide on Pest Status and ISPM 15 (Regulation of wood packaging material 
in international trade). Calls were also made for: resources for the development of ISPM 15 
implementation material and for participation in a NRO survey and a Sea Container questionnaire.  
3.8.  A Steering Committee and a Technical Committee have been formed to organize and coordinate 
a global symposium on Pest Free Areas and Sur veillance , which is planned to be held in October 
2019 in Japan.  
4  TRADE FACILITATION  
4.1.  e-Phyto: The implementation plan of the five year strategic plan for ePhyto to transition from 
a project to "business -as-usual " operations was agreed by CPM -14 (2019).  
4.2.  e-Commerce: CPM -14 (2019) endorsed the draft project work plan and budget that were 
presented to the CPM in a discussion paper on e -Commerce; it was noted that the IPPC Secretariat 
will not implement the e -Commerce action plan, with the exception of liaison with international 
organizations, until it is fully resourced; and one Contracting Party (CP) committed to support to the 
Secretariat in the form of an in -kind contribution of a staff member to support e -Commerce activities 
and called on other CPs to make additional resource contributions.  
4.3.  The Sea Containers Task Force (SCTF) developed a questionnaire on sea containers, addressed 
to IPPC contra cting parties.  Data collected will be aggregated to assist the SCTF in monitoring the 
uptake and help assess the efficiency of the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units 
(CTU Code). The questionnaire is available in all FAO languages and th e deadline for completion is 
16 August 2019.  
5  INTERNATIONAL YEAR O F PLANT HEALTH  
5.1.  The IYPH partners met on 6 April 2019 and the IYPH International Steering Committee (ISC) 
met on 14 June 2019.  
5.2.  The IYPH visual identity was launched.  
5.3.  The Universal Postal Union  was requested to create a commemorative postage stamp.  G/SPS/GEN/1719  
 
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  5.4.  The concept for the development of an IYPH two -euro coin was approved by Belgium.  
6  INTERNATIONAL COOPER ATION  
6.1.  A delegation was formed by representatives of the IPPC secretariat, contracting parties and 
the SC and IC to participate in the Consultation Workshop of Biodiversity -Related Conventions held 
in June 2019 in Bern, Switzerland to help develop a Post -2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.  
6.2.  The IPPC secretariat participated in the Inter -Agency Liaison Gr oup on Invasive Alien Species, 
which met in June 2019.  
6.3.  The IPPC secretariat signed joint work plans with both the Convention on Biological Diversity 
Secretariat (2019 -2020) and with the World Customs Organization (2019 -2021).  
 
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