Information Exchange

Under the IPPC, information exchange is the responsibility of member countries National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs), the IPPC Secretariat and Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs). Each member country should identify a contact point for all IPPC matters, provide a description of the NPPO, list points of entry under official control, list regulated pests, notify changes to its pest status, phytosanitary measures, regulations, and other relevant information. Depending on circumstances, these notifications should be provided to other countries, to RPPOs and to the Secretariat through the IPPC website. For more information about reporting, see the Convention and the reports of the sessions of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures Sharing information about your pest status, phytosanitary measures, regulations and other information is vital to the future of the world^s plant resources and biodiversity, to safe trade in plants and plant products, and to food security. Sharing information on regulations, pest outbreaks, control, surveillance and treatments builds cooperation and enhances member countries^ capacity to protect their plant resources. Countries use this information to assess the risks associated with moving plants and plant products across borders, and to manage those risks wisely.

Information exchange supports transparency and risk analysis by:

• promoting the control of pests and preventing their spread
• sharing technical information on which to base decisions
• using international standards
• promoting the harmonization of phytosanitary measures; and
• meeting the public information requirements of the Convention.

The Secretariat uses the information provided by member countries to coordinate the IPPC work programme, to review the state of plant protection around the world, to help in dispute avoidance and to inform CPM decisions. The Secretariat does this by:

• providing translation and documentation services for IPPC-related activities
• distributing IPPC and related documentation, such as ISPMs
• managing the IPPC Web site to communicate the Secretariat activities, to highlight RPPO and NPPO activities, to publish documentation relating to the IPPC, and to provide technical information on phytosanitary measures
• providing the forum for countries to develop and agree to ISPMs
• developing the network of IPPC contact points to provide fast, reliable exchange between member countries, and between member countries, the Secretariat and RPPOs
• informing member countries of meetings organized by the IPPC Secretariat and by RPPOs
• providing a global pest reporting system
• encouraging and emphasizing technical assistance on phytosanitary measures and providing technical assistance from the FAO
• organizing technical meetings to discuss emerging issues, to draft international standards or to clarify specific phytosanitary concerns
• providing training.

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