The IPPC and Guidance on International Standards to Protect

Forests

Gillian Allard FAO Forestry Department

in cooperation with the IPPC Secretariat

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

• Multilateral treaty for international cooperation in plant protection

• Identified in the WTO-SPS Agreement (on the application of sanitary and

phytosanitary measures) as the authority for plant health standards

Purpose of this Convention

… to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control, ...

IPPC works co-operatively

Works co-operatively with other international agreements (e.g. CBD, Cartagena Protocol, SPS Agreement) to reduce spread of invasive species or alien species or both (IAS)

Structure of the IPPC

• Secretariat• Commission of Phytosanitary Measures

(CPM)• Subsidiary bodies:

– Standards Committee: responsible for developing International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs)

– Technical Panels– Expert Working Groups: technical drafting bodies

Function of the IPPC

Convention provides framework for:– International standard setting– Guidance on achieving the goals of the

standards– Capacity building to support implementation – Information exchange and dispute

resolution– Operation of a Secretariat to support goals

Scope of the IPPC

• Includes items capable of harbouring or spreading pests, such as: – storage places– conveyances – containers

• Includes biological control organisms

Protection of plants & plant products from harmful pests

Global standards

• ISPMs are internationally agreed to by the governing body of the IPPC and recognized by the SPS Agreement

• Standards are not legally binding • Many countries use them to formulate

national legislation • National regulations are written by National

Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs)• Governments must use their national

authorities to implement standards

Current standard setting work programme

• 32 diagnostic protocols at various stages of development e.g. Ips, pinewood nematode, Asian long horned beetle

• 28 phytosanitary treatments at various stages of review

• e.g. Sulfuryl flouride, microwave, etc. for wood packaging

• 25 other topics have been approved for development as international standards

Forest-related standards currently being developed

• International movement of plants for planting

• International movement of wood

• Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for plants as pests

• International movement of forest tree seeds

• Forestry surveillance

Trade and movement of pests

• International movement of goods and

people is increasing exponentially

• Plants, plant products and even the

pallets they move on may carry pests

and this trade may actively shuttle

species to new environments

Increased trade movespests globally

Slide complements of Hugh Evans, UK Forestry Commission, Wales

What needs to be done ?

• Engage forest practitioners in protecting global forest health – Improve forest health practices through

implementation of ISPMs in the forestry sector

– Reduce impacts to biodiversity– Safe trade in forest products

• Ensure forestry sectors are engaged in international standard setting & implementation

Standards are complicated!

• Developed by NPPOs using technical terminology based on agricultural concepts

• Majority of forestry standards only developed in the last 15 years

• Consensus at a global scale may not translate into coherence at the operational level

• Communication channels between foresters and NPPOs may not be well established

• Forestry sector does not always participate in all stages of standard development

How to bridge the gap

•Need to develop bridge between foresters and NPPOs •Beginning with a common

understanding of phytosanitary concepts

The first step ?

Guide to the implementation of good forest health practices in support of ISPMs

Currently being developed by an international group of scientists, phytosanitary authorities and forest sector representatives, supported by the IPPC Secretariat at FAO

Purpose

• Use forestry terminology & plain language to explain the international standards

• Develop appropriate guidance on good forest health management

• Provide practical forestry examples of how application of ISPMs can improve forest health

The guide is divided into four sections:

1. Trade practices that can reduce pest movement;2. Production practices that reduce pests:

Growing, harvesting, processing, storing, remanufacturing and finishing forest product phases;

3. Explanation of phytosanitary concepts relevant to forests and the forestry sector;

4. Examples of the successful application of phytosanitary concepts in forestry.

Timeline

May 2009

Oct. 2009

Nov. 2009

Feb. 2010 June 2010 Sept. 2010Oct. 2010 end 2010-

2011

• Technical group meeting of forestry experts & NPPOs representing 5 FAO regions for preparation of draft contents

• Completion of the initial draft & first review by language editor

• External consultation by foresters, NPPOs, private sector and other stakeholders on technical content and

• Broader stakeholder consultation and feedback• Finalization of the guide • Development of training tools for outreach• Presentation to Committee on Forestry (COFO)• Initiation of the training phase and field testing

FAO needs your involvement to complete the process

Text reviewers with forestry expertise are needed!

Contacts: Ms. Gillian Allard, Forest Protection and Health

Officer at Gillian.Allard@fao.org.

Mr. Shane Sela, IPPC Standard Setting at Shane.Sela@fao.org

http://www.fao.org/forestry/56879/en/