report of INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION CONVENTION (IPPC)
to the SPS Committee meeting on 22-24 March 2023
for the Period: NOVEMBER 2022 – february 2023

Communication from the IPPC secretariat

The following communication, received on 1 March 2023, is being circulated at the request of the International Plant Protection Convention secretariat (IPPC).

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The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an intergovernmental treaty signed by 184 contracting parties (as of February 2023), aiming to protect the world's plant resources from the spread and introduction of pests, and facilitate safe trade. The Convention introduced the development and implementation of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) as its main tool to achieve its goals, making it the sole global standard setting organization for plant health.

The IPPC is one of the "Three Sisters" recognized by the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement, along with the Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety standards and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for animal health standards.