report of INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION
CONVENTION (IPPC)
to the SPS Committee meeting on 20-22 March 2024
for the Period: NOVEMBER 2023 – February 2024
Communication from the IPPC secretariat
The following communication,
received on 19 February 2024, is being circulated at the
request of the International Plant Protection Convention secretariat
(IPPC).
_______________
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
is an intergovernmental treaty signed by 185 contracting parties (as of October
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.
1 Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM)[1]
1.1. The next session of the CPM (CPM-18, 2024) is confirmed for 15 to 19
April 2024, at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy.
1.2. Several topics are to be discussed and agreed by the CPM-18,
including:
-_
Adoption of International Standards for Phytosanitary
Measures
o_
Draft 2022
Amendments to ISPM 5 (Glossary of phytosanitary terms) (1994-001);
o_
Draft Annex:
Criteria for evaluation of available information for determining host status of
fruit to fruit flies to ISPM 37 (Determination of host status of fruit to fruit
flies (Tephritidae)) (2018-011);
o_
Revision of ISPM
4 (Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas) (2009-002);
o_
Draft annex to
ISPM 28 (Cold treatment for Thaumatotibia
leucotreta on Citrus sinensis)
(2017-029).
-_
Adjustments to the IPPC Standard Setting Procedure: expediting the development of IPPC specific commodity standards.
-_
CPM Recommendations
o_
Sea Containers[2]
(for adoption)
-_
Recommendations of new topics proposals to the IPPC
work programme (from the 2023 call for topics)
-_
Implementation of IPPC Strategic Framework –
Overarching report on the implementation of the eight development agenda items (DAIs)
o_
Harmonization of
electronic data exchange – ePhyto funding model and procedures (decision to be
taken on a way forward for the ePhyto sustainable funding)
o_
Commodity- and
Pathway-Specific ISPMs
o_
Management of
e-commerce and postal and courier pathways
o_
Enabling the use
of third-party entities
o_
Strengthening
pest outbreak alert and response systems
o_
Assessment and
management of climate change impacts on plant health
o_
Global
Phytosanitary Research Coordination - Terms of reference for the CPM Focus
Group for CPM approval
o_
Diagnostic
Laboratory Networking - Terms of reference for the CPM Focus Group for CPM
approval
-_
Update from other CPM Focus Groups
o_
Safe Provisions
of Food and Other Humanitarian Aid[3]
-_
Implementation issues
o_
IPPC Guides and
Training Materials
o_
Update on
projects managed by the IPPC secretariat
o_
IPPC Observatory
o_
Update on the
Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation
o_
Update on
coordination of Fusarium oxysporum
f. sp. cubense TR4 action
-_
Collaboration with Regional Plant Protection
Organizations
-_
Other emerging topics
o_
Update on One
Health and antimicrobial resistance
o_
Update on Africa
Phytosanitary Programme[4]
o_
Dispute
Settlement Oversight Body (terms of reference and rules of procedure)
-_
Participating in CPM: Orientation session
-_
E-commerce side session
-_
Banana Fusarium TR4 side session
-_
(Tentative) Science Session
-_
Successes and challenges in implementing the IPPC
-_
Financial Report and Budget
-_
Update on Communication Activities
-_
External cooperation