IPPC community gets ready for the first virtual session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures

Rome, 11 March 2021. The Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) organized two dry-run sessions to prepare contracting parties and observer organizations for the fifteenth and first-ever virtual session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-15), which will be opened next week, on 16 March. The morning session was attended by 100 participants, while over 80 took part in the evening dry run session.

“This is a challenging situation for the entire plant health world and for food production chains”, stressed the CPM Chairperson, Mr Javier Trujillo Arriaga, and the Vice-Chairperson, Mr Lucien Kuamé Konan, during their welcoming remarks at the two sessions. However and even more so during a global crisis, the implementation of phytosanitary measures remains vital to protect food and agricultural resources from plant pests and diseases, and ensure the right to food for everyone in such a critical time. Additionally, “IPPC standards provide transparency for market access, inclusiveness and economic development, while also supporting food security and biodiversity conservation”, added the CPM chair.

The CPM-15 will convene on 16 March, 18 March and 1 April to set off the new IPPC development agenda and priority actions for the next decade. The adoption of the new Strategic Framework 2020-2030 will put new emphasis on the IPPC work on commodity and pathway standards, pest outbreak alert and response systems, climate change impacts on plant health, e-commerce, and more.

During the dry run sessions, Mr Avetik Nersisyan, IPPC Secretary in charge for daily matters, recalled the importance for all participants to abide by the CPM rules of procedure and operate in adherence with the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and participation. Countries were also requested to register through the FAO Members Gateway in a timely manner to ensure that the CPM-15 meet the quorum, which is currently set at 93 contracting parties.

Along with the adoption of eleven standards on regulated pests, the CPM is expected to approve two recommendations on food aid and on contaminating pests to help countries prevent phytosanitary risks associated with humanitarian aid and traded goods, respectively. Three new focus groups on climate change impact on plant health, communications, and implementation plans for the IPPC Strategic Framework are also recommended to be established by the CPM based on the new strategic framework 2020-2030.

Participants can now download the CPM-15 desktop and mobile application to find all the meeting papers, information, and enhance their event experience.

Zoom guidelines for meeting participants are also available as CPM-15 INF paper n. 1 at this link.

For more information, please visit the CPM-15 page.