Webinar on the IPPC ePhyto Solution in African countries (21 June 2023)
Thank you for participating in the Webinar!
Wednesday, 21 June 2023, 14:00-16:30 (GMT+2)
The presentations are available below
Recording is available at: here (Passcode: *7b#FaiR)
Background:
Phytosanitary certificates are official documents issued by national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) of exporting countries to NPPOs of importing countries to certify that plants, plant products and other regulated articles meet phytosanitary import requirements of the importing country. Due to its benefits, an increasing number of countries are progressively transitioning to electronic phytosanitary certification. Indeed, the implementation of electronic phytosanitary certification through the IPPC ePhyto Solution is critical to develop countries’ economies through safe and efficient trade. However, out of 54 African countries, only 10 are currently exchanging ePhytos. To ensure that no one is left behind, the webinar aims to introduce the IPPC ePhyto Solution to African countries.
Target audience:
- National plant protection organizations (NPPOs)
- Governmental agencies such as Customs, Frauds, Trade, Postal Services
- Organizations and private sector involved in import/export of plants and plant products
- Donor agencies
Key topics that will be covered during this session:
- Definition of electronic phytosanitary certification and overview of the IPPC ePhyto Solution
- Importance and benefits of digitalization and of the IPPC ePhyto Solution
- Overview of the functioning of the ePhyto hub and of the Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS) and first steps to register to the hub
- Experiences and challenges in African countries exchanging ePhytos
Speakers:
 | Craig Fedchock Manager of the IPPC ePhyto Solution Project, IPPC Secretariat, FAO Craig Fedchock is the Senior Advisor to the IPPC Secretariat. He also leads the IPPC ePhyto Solution, a successful effort to digitize the exchange of phytosanitary certificates. Craig has held several high-ranking positions including but not limited to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Executive Office of the President, Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the US Department of Commerce. He has considerable expertise in the areas of plant health, plant protection and quarantine, and phytosanitary certificates, and he was the lead negotiator for the US on sanitary and phytosanitary issues in multiple Free Trade Agreement negotiations and World Trade Organization accession discussions with several countries. |
 | Rose Souza Richards Seed Health Manager of the International Seed Federation (ISF), co-Chair of the ePhyto Industry Advisory Group (IAG) Rose Souza Richards joined ISF in March 2020 as the Seed Health Manager. Rose is the key point person for the international seed industry with the IPPC, and responsible for the coordination of an industry-wide response to World Trade Organization (WTO) notifications on proposed changes to national phytosanitary regulations. She also manages, develops, and promotes existing ISF activities such as the Systems Approach, the Regulated Pest List Initiative and the International Seed Health Initiative. Rose has spent the last five and a half years working at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in New Zealand. Rose has a BSc in Agronomic Engineering from the State University of Bahia, Brazil, an MSc in Plant Pathology from the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, a second MSc in Plant Diversity from the University of Reading, UK and a PhD in Plant Molecular Virology from the University of Nottingham, UK. |
 | Josiah M. Syanda Deputy Director, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) Josiah Syanda is the Deputy Director at Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS). Josiah is an Agricultural Information and Communication Management and a phytosanitary expert, with more than 20 years of experience in phytosanitary processes and compliance. Josiah has made an immense contribution to the development of phytosanitary systems in Kenya and the African region. Through his contribution, Kenya became a reference country for phytosanitary expertise in the region. He is a member of the IPPC ePhyto Steering Group (ESG) representing the African Region. |
 | Thembelani Theophilus Pongolo E-Certification Project management, NPPO of South Africa Thembelani Theophilus Pongolo will be speaking on the South African experience with regards to electronic phytosanitary certification system. Theo is well versed in the key international phytosanitary agreements and rules, having trained with the WTO, IPPC, the US Department of Agriculture after earning a degree in Horticultural Science and a certificate in Project Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He also is a validated Facilitator for Beyond Compliance online tools (IPPC) which support design and evaluation of Systems Approach. He was appointed a Scientist Manager for the National Department of Agriculture, Land reform and Rural development of South Africa in 2011, which entails mentoring and training technical staff. He manages a team of 54 plant health staff. Theo works with PRA, regulation of exports and import materials including pathways such as sea containers, and industry relations. He started work with the National Department of Agriculture in 2002 in a role involving inspections, export certification, audits, testing and checking labelling of products. His next role included preparation of standard operating procedures, management of staff and compliance for exports. He was appointed as the Project Manager for eCertification Export-Import system of South Africa. |
 | Brenda Joyce Kisingiri Senior Agricultural Inspector, NPPO of Uganda Brenda Joyce Kisingiri is a Senior Agricultural Inspector in the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification, which is the NPPO of Uganda. Brenda is a Phytosanitary Inspector responsible for export regulation and border control. She was responsible for overseeing the development and operationalization of the GeNS in Uganda. She is now Co-Administrator with the Head NPPO and the Information Technologist. Brenda has participated in webinars organized by the IPPC Secretariat, the World Economic Forum and the International Grain Council, to talk about the ePhyto story for Uganda, and support countries seeking to implement ePhyto, such as Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar and Asian and Pacific countries. |
 | Remico Kibago Information Technologist, NPPO of Uganda Remico Kibago is the Information Technologist in the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification, which is the NPPO of Uganda. He provides Information technology support to NPPO staff, farmers and to importers and exporters of agricultural products. He also provides support to other Ministry departments. Currently, he is a Co-administrator for the GeNS system for Uganda. Remico has also been a speaker at other IPPC webinars that were held to support countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar and COMESA’s countries in adopting ePhyto. |
Agenda:
| Content | Presenter | Time (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Mr Craig Fedchock, ePhyto Manager, IPPC Secretariat | 5 |
| Opening remarks | Dr Osama El-Lissy, IPPC Secretary | 10 |
| Opening remarks | Dr Sandrine Bayendi Loudit, Senior Scientific Officer, African Union, Inter-African Phytosanitary Council | 10 |
| Overview of the IPPC ePhyto Solution | Mr Craig Fedchock | 20 |
| Importance and benefits of digitalization and of the IPPC ePhyto Solution | Dr Rose Souza Richards, Seed Health Manager of the International Seed Federation (ISF), co-Chair of the ePhyto Industry Advisory Group (IAG) | 20 |
| Overview of the functioning of the ePhyto hub and of GeNS and first steps to register to the hub | Mr Josiah M. Syanda, Deputy Director, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) | 20 |
Presentation of countries’ experiences in implementing the IPPC ePhyto Solution and challenges met:
|
| 20 20 |
| Q&A session | Moderated by Craig Fedchock | 20 |
| Closing remarks by the IPPC Secretariat | Mr Craig Fedchock | 5 |
| Doc # | Agenda # | Title | Files | Publications date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPT1 | Overview of the IPPC ePhyto Solution | En | 06 Jul 2023 | |
| PPT2 | Importance and benefits of digitalization and of the IPPC ePhyto Solution | En | 06 Jul 2023 | |
| PPT3 | Overview of the functioning of the ePhyto hub and of GeNS and first steps to register to the hub | En | 06 Jul 2023 | |
| PPT4 | Presentation of countries’ experiences in implementing the IPPC ePhyto Solution and challenges met: with own IT system (South Africa) | En | 06 Jul 2023 | |
| PPT5 | Presentation of countries’ experiences in implementing the IPPC ePhyto Solution and challenges met: with GeNS (Uganda) | En | 06 Jul 2023 |