Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2020, 20:32

Deadline on Sun, 20 Dec 2020, 22:55

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat is soliciting: 

• Nominations for appropriately qualified experts to take part in a Virtual Working Group (WG) to develop a IPPC e-Commerce Guide for plants, plant products and other regulated articles (2017-039)
• Submissions of policy papers, white papers and case studies for consideration by the WG
• Submissions of existing e-Commerce materials for possible posting on the International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP), using this form. (See previous call for additional information.)

Deadline:  Nominations and Submissions are due 20 December 2020

Description of the Guide:

The purpose of this Guide is to reduce the pest risks associated with cross-border e-Commerce and to increase awareness among IPPC contracting parties, e-Commerce stakeholders and different international organizations about the potential pest risks associated with e-Commerce trade. It will provide guidance for national plant protection organizations (NPPOs), regional plant protection organizations (RPPOs) and e-Commerce stakeholders to address the issue of plants, plant products and other regulated articles sold through e-Commerce and distributed through mail and courier pathways.

The IC-approved Outline for the IPPC e-Commerce Guide for plants, plant products and other regulated articles (2017-039) is available here.

Nominated experts may include qualified individuals from:  

• National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs), national Customs Administrations or other government agencies
• Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs)
• Relevant scientific or regulatory institutions
• Relevant industry representatives, including: e-Commerce platforms/marketplaces, postal operators, express carriers, customs brokers, etc.)
• International Organizations (e.g. World Customs Organization (WCO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.)

Nominations and submissions:

Please send nomination packages, white papers, case studies and technical materials to the IPPC Secretariat ([email protected]) by 20 December 2020. Please include “e-Commerce Guide” in the subject line.

Nominations for the WG will only be considered if they are accompanied by:

1. Summary of Expertise detailing relevant experience;
2. Up-to-date CV; and
3. Statement of Commitment (signed by candidate and candidate’s supervisor/employer)

Working virtually to develop a Guide on e-Commerce:

As international travel is restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this guide will be developed virtually and no face-to-face meeting is currently planned. It is therefore critical that WG members have access to reliable internet and appropriate tools for participating in virtual meetings and document reviews. Experts will be tasked with drafting chapters for inclusion in the Guide and reviewing and revising the Guide. Documents will be shared and reviewed electronically. Working Group activities are expected to represent an average of 1-2 days of work per month and to continue for approximately 18 months.

The first virtual meeting of the Working Group is tentatively planned for Tuesday, 23 February 2021 at 16:00 European Central Time. Additional virtual meetings will be organized as needed, but are not expected to occur more than once per month. The start time of the meetings will be selected to minimize the impact on participants and may be rotated so the same people are not inconvenienced every time.

Selected experts will also be expected to participate in the informal network of e-Commerce experts that has been established by the IPPC Secretariat to enhance collaboration, facilitate information exchange and identify opportunities for addressing the phytosanitary risks associated with cross-border e-Commerce.

Specific Practical Expertise Requested:

The working group that develops the guide will be composed of experts with relevant technical and practical expertise in the subject matter and will have a wide geographical representation, including both developing and developed countries to ensure that the material developed is globally applicable and reflects best practices from all over the world. Involvement in the IPPC’s informal network of e-Commerce experts will also be considered (see below for additional information).

The following criteria will be used for selecting working group members:

• Practical expertise and knowledge related to e-Commerce
• Practical expertise developing, implementing or supervising national, regional or global e-Commerce programmes or in policy development
• Practical expertise managing phytosanitary import or export systems
• Expertise in risk analysis
• Practical expertise carrying out investigations, notifications, response or emergency actions in association with cross-border e-Commerce
• Knowledge or expertise in one or more of the following: advance electronic data systems, electronic data interchange (EDI), single window, risk based inspection/sampling, preferred carriers/brokers (Authorized Economic Operators, AEO), Green Lanes, non-intrusive inspection (NII) technologies, web-crawlers; etc.)

Additional information   

• Outline for the IPPC e-Commerce Guide for plants, plant products and other regulated articles (2017-039): https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/88771/
• Information on the development of the e-Commerce Guide (2017-039): https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/guides-and-training-materials/development-guides-and-training-materials/e-commerce-guide-2017-039/
• IPPC e-Commerce programme: https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/e-commerce/
• To join the IPPC informal network of e-Commerce experts, please contact: [email protected]

Please, contact Ms Barbara PETERSON ([email protected]) for more information.