Capacity building tools for IPPC standards
This project developed technical resources with the aim to improve implementation of International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) by National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in developing countries. These resources covered the core areas of national plant health systems such as import verification, export certification, pest surveillance and diagnostics and pest risk analysis. Improving the institutional capacity in these areas helps to maintain and expand the access to international markets and support national import and export certification programmes.
The IPPC Secretariat organized an information session on this project and its outputs in March 2017 (in the margins of the WTO SPS Committee).
The project was externally evaluated and presented to the Working Group in 2019. Please access the evaluation report here.
NPPOs in developing countries face many challenges such as lack of trained staff, weak information systems and operational procedures. These gaps lead to weak phytosanitary systems, which are unable to effectively protect plant resources from pests and diseases. The project took a first step to address this gap by establishing a set of globally relevant resources to strengthen core functions of NPPOs. More specifically, these resources include manuals, Standard Operating Procedures and training kits outlining the processes and procedures for implementation of ISPMs.
Key resources produced under the project
Resources developed through collaborative approach
Throughout the project, the CDC developed criteria to prioritise topics for development of new resources. These criteria included the relationship to the management of NPPOs, responses to emerging issues and lack of existing materials to address the various topics. Collaborators on the ground contributed to the development of resources by bringing their expertise and committed to the long-term use of resources, providing useful feedback. New collaborations emerged with a number of contracting parties such as South Korea, Vietnam and the United Kingdom, in addition to a regional organisation, OIRSA (Organismo International Regional de Sanidad Agropecuria), which contributed to the validation process of draft resources by testing and providing feedback on them. Collaborations were also shaped with the International Pest Risk Analysis Advisory Group (IAGPRA), allowing them to identify experts who contributed to the implementation of the project by reviewing the outputs at a workshop organized by the United Kingdom. The New Zealand Plant Health and Environment Laboratory and the United Kingdom Food and Environment Research Agency developed and reviewed the diagnostics manual.
The IPPC Secretariat made use of many other opportunities to highlight the use of technical resources, such as CPM meetings and use of high quality photographic posters (produced under the project) at various international meetings. Translation of technical resources to other languages was also encouraged.
Raised awareness on plant protection
The IPPC organized a photography competition "Pests without Borders" which resulted in submission of high quality photographs of plant pests from the world over. These pictures gave visual representation to plant pests as potential global threat. These photographs were displayed at several events, including at a CPM meeting and were published in National Geographic Italy, La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper and FAO media database.
Survey links have been integrated into the Phytosanitary Resources Website in order to capture feedback from users. Monitoring the results of these surveys will allow the IPPC secretariat to improve the services, if needed. In the future, the scope of resources available on the website may increase so it may be useful to periodically review and improve the functionality of the website.
Promoting the use of technical resources
