IPPC Committee fast-tracks plant health standards implementation

Rome, 9 June 2025 - The Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC) of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) met from 19-23 May in Rome, Italy to discuss strategic capacity development actions, review outcomes of the 19th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), assess the global application of phytosanitary standards and set the blueprint to enhance their effective implementation.

The IC, a CPM subsidiary body, oversees the implementation of the Convention and the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), and facilitates phytosanitary capacity development among IPPC contracting parties. The first of the committee's two annual meetings, it was also attended by observers from the Comité de Liaison Entrepreneuriat – Agriculture – Développement (COLEAD), the European Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and the World Bank. The IC also welcomed Ravinder Khetarpal as an IC expert, replacing Elizabeth McCrudden.

“We are at the midpoint in the implementation of the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020-2030, and we need more strategic approaches. We have noted significant progress in the past years in priority areas such as harmonizing electronic data exchange, managing emerging pest pathways such as e-commerce, the Pest Outbreak Alert Response System (POARS) and most recently- the IPPC Plant Health Campus”, said Sarah Brunel, IPPC Secretariat Officer-in-charge for day-to-day matters and Lead of the IPPC’s Implementation and Facilitation Unit (IFU).

She thanked the IC members and observer organisations for their commitment to phytosanitary capacity development and called for more financial and technical support in developing and promoting standards implementation.

Discussion highlights

CPM-19 recommendations: On "rethinking the ISPMs" to make them more practical, user-friendly, transparent and clear, the IC emphasized the need for timely development of guiding documents for each ISPM and more funding to facilitate this work. This topic was first discussed at the 2024 IPPC's Strategic Planning Group (SPG) meeting, then during CPM Bureau meetings, CPM-19 (2025), and subsidiary committee meetings. The IC recommended further discussions at the upcoming IPPC Regional Workshops starting in August and that a related paper from the IC be presented at SPG in 2025.

The IC also discussed developing new IPPC guides, enhancing the Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) tool, the IPPC systems approach workshop to be held in Santiago, Chile in December 2025, strengthening synergies among IPPC projects and activities such as the Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP) and POARS and launching the IPPC call for topics. On the latter topic, a new IC team was created to assess implementation-related topics that countries will submit for the development of IPPC implementation resources. Furthermore, the IPPC Secretariat will host a webinar on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 to facilitate countries' submission of quality proposals.

To make it easier for developing countries to adopt the IPPC ePhyto Solution for issuing electronic phytosanitary certificates, CPM-19 proposed eliminating usage fees for the least developed and low-income countries starting in 2026 and maintaining the current two-thirds base fee and one-third usage fee funding model. An IC observer concurred with the CPM-19 recommendation and stressed the need to assess countries’ needs and readiness for ePhyto implementation and providing tailored support to each country.

CPM-19 also emphasized the need for additional funding for core IPPC implementation and capacity development activities such as production of guides and training materials, PCE, POARS, global Fusarium TR4 coordination and the IPPC Observatory. The IC requested the IPPC Secretariat and the Financial Committee to follow up and ensure allocation of base funding for these activities.

Innovation for plant health: This year’s IC meeting hosted a webinar on “Smart Plant Health – What Does the Future Look Like?” showcasing digital diagnostic tools, artificial intelligence-driven pest detection and surveillance applications and smart technologies addressing key plant health problems. The projects, selected through a global call, were pitched to over 400 attendees, including donor representatives and the plant health community.

Senegal and India presented IPPC projects demonstrating how technology and innovation had transformed their phytosanitary capacity development and standards implementation through the IPPC ePhyto Solution and the Plant Health Campus respectively.

Furthermore, the IC commended FAO, the IPPC Secretariat and the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) for organizing the 2025 International Day of Plant Health celebrations. The event highlighted the interconnection between plant, human, animal and environmental health and showcased advanced technology and a 3D simulation room for training plant health inspectors to detect, respond and prevent outbreaks.

IC members and observers during the May meeting at FAO Headquarters in Rome ©FAO/Anita Tibasaaga

Going forward

In its workplan for 2025, the IFU will enhance initiatives to further integrate plant health within One Health, revise the IPPC website content on phytosanitary capacity development, develop the third general IPPC Survey and develop two guides on audit and authorization of third-party entities. The IFU will continue producing monthly pest reports and alerts under POARS, support establishment of a trust fund for POARS activities and promote the IPPC Plant Health Campus, with a webinar planned on Wednesday 11 June.

“Effective implementation is critical for plant health standards to make a difference in the phytosanitary systems, plant protection, and safe trade”, said Dominique Pelletier, IC Chair.

He commended the IC’s work and reiterated the CPM’s recommendation for additional funding for key implementation activities such as POARS, ePhyto and the IPPC’s global coordination of the Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) of banana.