The ISS-STDF Workshop on Implementation of the ISPM 15 held in Nairobi Kenya

The ISS-STDF Workshop on Implementation of the ISPM 15 was held from 19-23 July 2017 at the headquarters of Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Nairobi, Kenya. The objective of the Workshop was to review the results of the study entitled Implementation of the International Standard on Phytosanitary Measures 15 (Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade) : An empirical analysis of how the regulation affects the economy of a group of countries in Africa. Four African countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya and Mozambique, participated in a study carried out by Dr Luca Tasciotti, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Dr Elissaios Papyyrakis, Institute of Social Studies (ISS), with funding provided by the Standard Trade Development Facility (STDF). Twenty participants, including representatives from the National Plant Protection Organizations of the four participating African countries as well as representatives from industry, the STDF and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat, attended the Workshop.

In general, the study determined that the implementation of ISPM 15 had no detrimental impact on the ability of the four countries in the study to trade. The main challenges in the implementation of the standard were a lack of consistent oversight of the entities approved to use the ISPM 15 mark, policies for auditing and checking on the entities which were not well documented and in some cases lacking entirely, as well as limited resources invested in monitoring imports for compliance.

Successes and challenges were shared and the workshop concluded with representatives from the four African countries discussing and formulating joint recommendations to address identified challenges.

There was also a lack of understanding on the use of the Dielectric heating as an ISPM 15 treatment and participants requested additional guidance be developed.

The final report of this study will be posted on the STDF website and a link will to this report will be posted on the IPP: https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/application-of-ispm-15/