G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
28 October 2019  
(19-7138) Page: 1/9 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
REPORT OF INTERNATIO NAL PLANT PROTECTION  
CONVENTION (IPPC)  
The followi ng communication, received on 20 October 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
International Plant Protection Convention secretariat  (IPPC).  
 
_______________  
 
 
This report provides an overview of the main activities of the International Plant Protection 
Organization (IPPC) secretariat since the last SPS Committee meeting in July 2019.  
1  GOVERNANCE AND STRAT EGIES  
IPPC Strategic Framework (2020 -2030)  
1.1.  The fourteenth meetin g of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM -14, 2019) 
endorsed the IPPC Strategic Framework (SF), 2020 -2030 with minor notes for consideration by the 
authors, a graphical overview is presented in Table 1. The SF was reviewed and endorsed by the 
Strategic Planning Group (SPG). The new strategic framework details the IPPC mission, vision, goal, 
three strategic objectives, three core activities and eight development agenda items.  
1.2.  The IPPC secretariat has developed a Theory of Change to help contracting parties (CPs) 
understand their contributions to the Strategic Objectives in the SF, the FAO Strategic Objectives 
and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The IPPC secretariat is also in the process of 
developing a monitoring and evaluation matrix to hel p measure the implementation of the SF over 
the next ten years.  G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  Table 1  
 
 
G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  Strategic Planning Group  
1.3.  The IPPC Strategic Planning Group (SPG)1 meeting was held at FAO -HQ in Rome, Italy, from 
8-10 October 2019. The following are highlights of the main strateg ic topics discussed:  
• Endorsement of the IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020 -2030, to be presented to CPM -15 
(2020) for final adoption;  
• Pest Outbreak Alert and Response System - The SPG reviewed the action plan and budget 
proposed for the 5th IPPC development  agenda 2020 -2030 "Strengthening Pest Outbreak 
Alert and Response System". The SPG recognized the need for extra budgetary resources 
and recommended to delay some activities in the project and to promote it during the 
International Year of Plant Health (IY PH) in 2020 to get additional funds secured;  
• Surveillance - the SPG took note of the activities to be conducted on surveillance, namely, 
the possible revision of the IPPC Plant Pest Surveillance Guide; the creation of an IPP 
Surveillance Landing Page; the organization of the International Pest Free Area (PFA) and 
Surveillance Symposium; the creation of a global surveillance projects register, as well as 
the creation of a global plant health surveillance information portal on the IPP. The SPG 
recognized the importance of work on surveillance and noted the lack of resources to 
undertake additional work on surveillance;  
• A new IPPC communications strategy based on the IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020 -2030 
would be developed after IYPH, to learn from its experie nce throughout 2020.  
Commission on Phytosanitary Measures Bureau  
1.4.  The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) Bureau2 met on 7 and 11 October 2019 in 
Rome, Italy to discuss and agree upon important administrative, strategic and financial budgetary 
matters. The Bureau endorsed a proposal of the IPPC Financial Committee to entertain in -depth 
reviews of the budget, once a y ear, with the purpose of improving IPPC's work plan and budget 
allocations. In preparation for CPM -15 (2020), the Bureau reviewed the agenda, the outline of the 
special topics sessions and the list of side sessions, with special attention to the preparatio n for the 
Ministerial Session to be held on 2 April 2020.  
2  IPPC NETWORKS  
IPPC Regional Workshops for 2019  
2.1.  Seven IPPC regional workshops (RW) have been delivered over the last few months, and 
248 participants from 139 countries attended these workshops held in Africa, Asia, Caribbean, 
Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, Near East and North Africa, and the 
Pacific. This year, the Standards Committee and Implementation and Capacity Development 
Committee members were present in all region s. Nine Regional Plant Protection Organizations 
(RPPOs) from the seven regions played an active role and the participation of FAO offices was 
recorded in all regions.  
Technical Consultation among Regional Plant Protection Organizations  
2.2.  In the IPPC, the IPP C secretariat is mandated to convene a meeting of RPPOs to:  
a) promote the development and use of relevant international standards for phytosanitary 
measures; and  
b) encourage inter -regional cooperation in promoting harmonized phytosanitary measures for 
control ling pests and in preventing their spread and/or introduction.  
2.3.  The 31st TC-RPPOs is planned for 21 -25 October in Abuja, Nigeria, hosted by the Inter African 
Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC) and the NPPO of Nigeria.  
                                                
1 Link to reports of SPG meeting: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/governance/strategic -
planning -group/ . 
2 Link to reports of CPM Bureau meeting: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/governance/bureau/ . G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  3  STANDARD SETTING  
3.1.  The Standard Setting Unit ( SSU)3 of the IPPC secretariat facilitates the standard setting 
procedure4 that is overseen by the Standards Committee (SC)5. The standard setting work program6 
is available on the IPPC website.  
November SC meeting  
3.2.  The SC will convene in FAO HQ from 11 -15 November 2019. They will discuss draft standards 
that are currently under development and review the draft standards that have been revised, based 
on the second round of consultations. The agenda of the meeting is available on the IPPC website.7 
Consultatio ns on a draft CPM Recommendation and draft ISPMs  
3.3.  The CPM has established a procedure for the development of drafts which includes periods of 
consultation when contracting parties can review and provide suggestions on draft documents.  
3.4.  The 2019 consultation period on draft ISPMs started on 1 July and closed on 30 September. 
The following were circulated for comments:  
a. First consultation  
− Draft annex to ISPM 27:  
1. Diagnostic protocol for Striga spp.  (2008 -009) 
 
− Draft annexes to ISPM 28:  
1. Draft PT: Irradiation treatment for Bactrocera dorsalis  (2017 -015) 
2. Draft PT: Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata  on Prunus avium , Prunus domestica  
and Prunus persica  (2017 -022A)  
3. Draft PT: Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni  on Prunus avium , Prunus domes tica 
and Prunus persica  (2017 -022B)  
4. Draft PT: Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata  on Vitis vinifera  (2017 -023A)  
5. Draft PT: Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni  on Vitis vinifera  (2017 -023B)  
6. Draft PT: Irradiation treatment for Bactrocera tau  (2017 -025) 
7. Draft PT: Irradiation treatment for Carposina Sasakii  (2017 -026) 
8. Draft PT: Irradiation treatment for the genus Anastrepha  (2017 -031) 
b. Second consultation  
1. Draft 2018 Amendments to ISPM 5: Glossary of phytosanitary terms (1994 -001) 
2. Revision of ISPM 8: Determinat ion of pest status in an area (2009 -005) 
3. Draft ISPM: Authorization of entities to perform phytosanitary actions (2014 -002) 
4. Draft ISPM: Requirements for the use of modified atmosphere treatments as 
phytosanitary measures (2014 -006) 
3.5.  The 2019 consultation per iod on draft CPM Recommendations started on 1 July and closed on 
30 August. The following were circulated for comments:  
− Draft CPM Recommendation on safe provision of food and other aid to prevent the 
introduction of plant pests during an emergency situatio n (2018 -026);  
                                                
3 IPPC Secretariat Standard Setting Unit (SSU): https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/2463/ . 
4 Introduction to the standard setting process: https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/83835/ . 
5 SC: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/standards -setting/standards -committee/ . 
6 List of topics for IPPC standards: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/standards -setting/list -topics -
ippc-standards/list . 
7 Agenda of the 2019 November SC meeting: https://w ww.ippc.int/events/event/640 . G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  − The draft ISPMs, draft CPM Recommendations and their compiled comments are posted on 
the IPPC website.8,9 
4  IMPLEMENTATION AND C APACITY DEVELOPMENT  
IPPC Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE)  
4.1.  Regarding the conduct of PCEs, projects are currently on -going involving a PCE in Nicaragua 
and Sri Lanka. A project for conducting a PCE in Uzbekistan is closed, modules were not completed 
and a National Phytosanitary Capacity Building Strategy was not dr afted. The IPPC secretariat 
continues to promote the PCE and several countries have expressed interest.  
IPPC Guides and training material  
4.2.  The IPPC Pest Free Areas Guide has been posted on the IPP.10 The IPPC International 
Symposium on Pest Free Area and Sur veillance11 is to convene on 28 October - 1 November, 
Shizuoka, Japan. The Symposium is an implementation and capacity development event with the 
main objectives to raise awareness of: (i) the international phytosanitary framework for pest free 
areas (PFAs)  and pest surveillance; (ii) IPPC resources for implementing the IPPC and ISPMs with 
an emphasis on the PFA and pest surveillance; (iii) provide a platform for presenting and promoting 
specific PFA and pest surveillance initiative; (iv) generate ideas for national and global capacity 
development strategies on PFAs and pest surveillance, and reinforce partnerships and collaboration 
between CPs, RPPOs and different stakeholders at the national, regional and global levels.  
4.3.  The development of the IPPC Pest Stat us Guide has been initiated with the first meeting of the 
Working Group on 16 -20 September 2019. The overall objective of the Pest Status Guide (2017 -
039) is to provide general guidance to national plant protection organizations and to support the 
implemen tation of ISPM 8: Determination of pest status in an area (2009 -05). The Pest Status Guide 
will also address challenges identified in Implementation and Review and Support System (IRSS) 
surveys - including, the 2012 ISPM 8 Survey and the 2012 and 2016 IPPC  General Surveys. 
The guide is to be finalized and published in 2020.  
4.4.  Future plans include the development of the implementation resource(s) for ISPM 15, subject 
to extra budgetary resources.  
Projects  
4.5.  Currently the IPPC secretariat is managing the followin g five projects:  
1. Strengthening the capacity of developing contracting parties to implement the International 
Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). In the framework of the FAO -China South -South 
Cooperation (SSC) Programme (China -funded, secretariat reports to  donor);  
2. European Commission support for implementation of the International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC) (EC -funded, secretariat reports to donor);  
3. Rolling out Systems Approach Globally - sharing tools for enhanced application of Systems 
Approach an d market negotiation on plant pest risk (STDF -funded, secretariat reports to 
donor, IC is the project steering committee). A training for future facilitators on the use of 
Beyond Compliance Tools was completed and the project team is now working on the 
implementation of the trade cases to validate future  facilitators;  
4. Cooperation for development of the ePhyto Solution and implementation of the Convention 
and International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (Japan -funded, secretariat reports 
to donor);  
                                                
8 Consultations for draft ISPMs: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/standards -setting/member -
consultation -draft-ispms/. 
9 Consultations for draft CPM Recommendations: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -
activities/governance/cpm/current -consultations -for-cpm-recommendations/ . 
10 Pest Free Area Guide - https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/capacity -development/guides -and-
training -materials/ . 
11 IPPC Inter national Symposium on Pest Free Area and Surveillance - https://www.ippc.int/en/core -
activities/capacity -development/symposia/symposiu m-on-pfas-and-surveillance/# . G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  5. The third cycle (2018 -2020) of the IPPC Implementation Review and Support System (IRSS). 
(EC-funded, secretariat reports to donor).  
4.6.  Several new projects will be submitted to the IC in November 2019 to determine whether the 
projects are aligned with the IPPC s trategic objectives, and have strategic value and a competitive 
advantage. These include the FAO COMESA project for Africa and two new EU projects (implementing 
IPPC, ISPMs and CPM Recommendations and another supporting pest outbreaks, commodity 
standards and ePhyto).  
4.7.  In November 2019, the IC will review phytosanitary projects that have an implementation or 
capacity development component. These will include projects the IPPC secretariat is involved with 
either for FAO backstopping or in a project management  role, as well as any projects submitted in 
response to a call. It is hoped to glean valuable outputs from these projects and then promote them 
to enhance communication and encourage better use of the project outputs.  
IC Sub -group on Implementation and Rev iew Support System  
4.8.  The IC Sub -group on Implementation and Review Support System (IRSS) oversees the IRSS 
activities and functions under the guidance of the IC.  
4.9.  A survey on pest free areas is being developed and hoped to be launched at the IPPC 
Symposium o n Pest Free Areas and Surveillance at the end of October. As information on pest free 
areas has been a point of interest for SPS delegates, we will request the WTO-SPS Secretariat  to 
help in disseminating the request to complete this survey.  
4.10.    A study on th e delegation of NPPO functions in the context of third party authorization is 
currently being undertaken by the secretariat.  
4.11.   Two general surveys were conducted in 2012 and 2016 to identify the challenges faced by 
member countries in implementing the IPPC Convention, the ISPMs and the CPM -Recommendations 
(CPM Recommendations were included in General Survey II conducted in 2016): Currently, a 
comparative analysis of the results of both surveys is being undertaken.  
4.12.   IRSS surveys as data-collection instruments have been discussed, and the IPPC secretariat is 
looking for ways to enhance the response rate of surveys administered through the IRSS.  
4.13.   A system for monitoring and evaluation of the IPPC secretariat and the IPPC community is 
being built through collaboration with the Centre for Development Innovation, Wageningen 
University. A theory -of-change has been developed to track progress against the Strategic 
Framework 2020 -2030, alongside an evaluation matrix. A study on national level monitoring and 
evaluation systems in the phytosanitary community will be undertaken to encourage countries to 
develop their own monitoring and evaluation systems.  
IC Sub -group on Dispute Avoidance and Settlement (DAS)  
4.14.   A call was made for members of the IC  Sub-group on Dispute Avoidance and Settlement 
(DAS), however only two nominations were submitted, even after the deadline was extended and 
the call re -issued. The lack of interest in the IPPC Dispute Settlement Process was discussed at the 
SPG October 201 9 meeting and the IPPC secretariat was requested to take no further action in the 
DAS work at this time. In regard to  the current dispute, the CPM Bureau advised the IPPC secretariat 
to wait for a joint response from the two parties that are currently invo lved in resolving a dispute.  
Web based phytosanitary resources  
4.15.   The International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP: http://www.ippc.int ) is being restructured by the 
IPPC secretariat, with input from the IC to reorganize technic al resources such as guides and training 
materials, as well as links to related standards into the various components of a phytosanitary 
system. This is hoped to provide National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) with more user -
friendly access to all the tools they need to help implement the standards and CPM 
Recommendations. The IPPC secretariat is also calling for Contributed Resources , which are technical 
resources developed outside the auspices of the IPPC secretariat, but nonetheless useful. These  G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  resources are also posted on the IPP after being reviewed by the IC to ensure that they are in line 
with the criteria developed by the IC. Guides and training materials, including contributed resources, 
can also be found on the following page: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/capacity -
development/guides -and-training -materials/ . 
5  TRADE FACILITATION  
ePhyto  
5.1.  The award winning ePhyto Solution proje ct continues to make great strides. The ePhyto 
Solution Project, with partial funding from the STDF, has been recognized by the United Nations 
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as the Asian Development Bank 
for the innovative  and positive trade facilitation effort the project embodies. As a result, the project 
received the 2019 Trade Facilitation Innovation Award from the Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum 
in September. Following that event, ePhyto experts met with the Indi an government NPPO, which 
subsequently began the on boarding process for ePhyto, followed by an intensive week of training 
in Sri Lanka to assist them as a pilot country in finalizing implementation of the GeNS, which is the 
internet -based system.  
5.2.  Approxim ately 40 additional countries are at some stage of participation in either the ePhyto 
Hub (the system that connects countries when they already have a national system) or the GeNS 
system. Since the end of June a number of training and implementation events  have taken place. 
The first took place in the Caribbean region. This training focused on presenting and training 
attendees on the GeNS System. Following this event, a number of regional NPPOs began the on 
boarding process for ePhyto including Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda , the Cayman Islands, Grenada, 
Guyana, and St. Lucia. Subsequent to this event, another regional workshop for the Pacific Plant 
Protection Organization was also held in Fiji with several countries beginning the on boarding process 
for the G eNS from that region, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands. Regional 
partner Samoa had already been a GeNS pilot country and is completing the on boarding process. 
There has been significant interest from other government's agencies a nd international organizations 
to investigate utilizing our solution for their certificates. These organizations include Codex, OIE, 
WCO and the International Maritime Organization. UNCEFACT has also approached the IPPC with 
strong interest in partnering o n a specific project and will be presenting their ideas to the upcoming 
ESG meeting in November. Piloting is expected to take place later this year with veterinary certificate 
exchanges between Australia and New Zealand, as well as between Paraguay and Chi le. The ePhyto 
Hub was specifically established in such a way as to facilitate the transmission of any type of 
certificate.  
5.3.  With regard to upcoming events, the IPPC has been invited to participate in an IMO 
eCertification working group on November 4 to fam iliarize that organization with the ePhyto Hub and 
GeNS. The Eurasian Economic Commission will be hosting an electronic certification 
seminar/workshop on 13 -14 November in Moscow, and IPPC has been invited to participate. The 
ePhyto Steering Group will be meeting the week of 11 November in the Washington, D.C. area, with 
the participation of UNCEFACT Vice -Chair Harm Jan van Burg and Codex CCFICS Chair Erik Bosker. 
The following week there will be an Africa regional ePhyto workshop (co -funded by the IPPC and  
USDA APHIS) with 22  countries participating. To close the year, there will be a regional ePhyto 
workshop for the Middle East held in Egypt during the first week of December, as well as ESG/UNICC 
support for a Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation project  in Morocco.  
eCommerce  
5.4.  Cross -border e -Commerce is expected to continue to grow and this means that there will be 
an increase in the volume and diversity of merchandise that is shipped internationally by mail or 
courier services. In order for the global pla nt protection framework to keep pace with this, NPPOs 
and regional plant protection organizations (RPPOs) should collaborate with other government 
agencies and stakeholders to monitor internet trade and to ensure that e -Commerce goods comply 
with relevant phytosanitary import requirements.  
5.5.  An e-Commerce action plan was noted by CPM -14 (2019) within the five -year investment plan 
of the IPPC secretariat – in relation to the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020 -2030. Activities to be 
carried out during 2020 -2030 woul d include: international communications, establishment of an G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  inter-agency network and the development of a joint inter -agency toolkit for the regulation and 
screening of e -Commerce and courier/postal pathways. The CPM -14 also endorsed the draft project 
work plan, however no resources were allocated. Canada committed to an in -kind contribution of a 
staff member, for two years, to work as a member of the IPPC secretariat's Implementation and 
Facilitation Unit, to advance the e -Commerce project and other CPM p riorities that facilitate trade. 
However extra -budgetary resources would be required to fully implement this plan.  
5.6.  A Guide on e -Commerce (2017 -039) is already included on the List of Implementation and 
Capacity Development Topics. CPM -14 (2019) noted topic s for two ISPMs related to e -Commerce 
have also been included on the list of topics for IPPC standards. An informal network of e -Commerce 
experts will be formed to support this work.  
Sea Containers Task Force (SCTF)  
5.7.  The third meeting of the IPPC Sea Contai ners Task Force (SCTF) took place in Baltimore, United 
States on 23 -27 September 2019. The main objective of the meeting was to review the SCTF's work 
since it was established in 2017; and to decide on a road map for developing recommendations for 
the Impl ementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC) and the 2021 Commission on 
Phytosanitary Measures (CPM -16) on the way forward to minimize the phytosanitary risks associated 
with the movement of sea containers. The meeting served as the venue to increase  collaboration 
with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO). One of 
the outputs of the meeting, an IPPC Best practice guidelines on Measures to minimize pest 
contamination and a leaflet developed by the SCTF, will  be posted on the IPP and made available to 
the stakeholders once approved by the IC during their November 2019 meeting. The results of the 
SCTF Questionnaire on Monitoring of Sea Container Cleanliness will also be made available in all 
official FAO langua ges on IPP.  
6  INTERNATIONAL YEAR O F PLANT HEALTH (2020 ) 
6.1.  IPPC activities to promote the proclamation of the IYPH at the UN General Assembly have 
primarily focused on creating awareness amongst stakeholders about the IYPH proposal in 
accordance with Resolution  A/RES/73/252 of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Supported 
by the IPPC community, the Government of Finland championed the proposal for the declaration of 
the International Year of Plant Health, which was proclaimed in December 2018 by consensu s. 
The IPPC secretariat planned and delivered presentations on a number of occasions, including in 
IPPC regional workshops, and other relevant regional events and international conferences, such as 
the International Congress of Plant Pathology in Boston, a mongst others.  
6.2.  The IPPC secretariat and the IYPH Steering Committee (StC) agreed to update the governance 
structure to include FAO relevant divisions in accordance with the mandate of the General Assembly 
of the United Nations and created the IYPH Internat ional Steering Committee (ISC), Technical 
Advisory Body (TAB) and secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the IYPH as per UNGA 
Resolution. The IYPH ISC is composed of seven representatives from the FAO Regions, 
representatives from the private sect or and civil society and IYPH secretariat. The IYPH ISC has 
gathered four times in 2019 and plans to increase meeting frequency throughout 2020, to continue 
the facilitation of implementation. The IPPC secretariat delivered several key elements to kick -start 
the IYPH activities: a website, a get -started guide, an action plan, a visual identity and human -
interest stories, amongst others. The IPPC secretariat is currently collaborating with the IYPH ISC 
and secretariat to gather momentum in view of the launch  events that will take place in Rome and 
New York City, at FAO and UN Headquarters respectively, during the month of December.  
7  INTERNATIONAL COOPER ATION  
7.1.  The IPPC secretariat collaborated with a number of international organizations to create 
synergy toward s achieving common goals. An update on key partnerships is listed below.  
7.2.  The IPPC secretariat continues its collaboration with the International Maritime Organization 
(IMO) to implement a joint approach to minimize the phytosanitary risks associated with t he 
movement of sea containers. In this regard, the ongoing work on the revision of the IMO inspection 
programmes for cargo transport units carrying dangerous goods to include criteria on sea containers G/SPS/GEN/1741  
 
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  cleanliness, is to be conducted via participation of t he IPPC secretariat in the relevant IMO 
correspondence group.  
7.3.  The secretariats of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) entered into a three -year joint workplan. The workplan identifies seven major 
areas for bilateral cooperation.  
7.4.  COLEACP is currently translating 8 IPPC Guides into French as an in -kind contribution and is 
fully financing the implementation of a phytosanitary capacity evaluation (PCE) in Sierra Leone under 
the supervision of the IPPC se cretariat.  
7.5.  The World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank Group (WBG), CIHEAM, COPA -COGECA and 
International Seed Federation (ISF) are members of the International Year of Plant Health 
International Steering Committee (IYPH ISC) and actively contributing t owards the implementation 
of the IYPH action plan.  
7.6.  The IPPC secretariat is taking part in the Biodiversity Liaison Group and in the UN Environment -
led project on creating synergies among biodiversity -related conventions.  
7.7.  Cooperation with academia is on the rise in view of the IYPH and the new IPPC Strategic 
Framework for 2020 -2030, which entails increased phytosanitary research coordination and work on 
plant health and climate change. Contacts were established with Euphres co, CIHEAM, CABI, the 
International Society for Plant Pathology, and the Universities of Bari, Firenze, Rome La Sapienza, 
Turin, Tuscia and York, among others.  
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