The   International   Plant Protection   Convention
  Pesticide   Management   and Risk   Reduction
  Pest   Management

 


Animal and Plant Health and Food Safety

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The IPPC is an international treaty to secure action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control. It is governed by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) which adopts International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs).

The IPPC objective is to define international measures to prevent the propagation and spread of pests of plants and plant products, as well as the implementation of the measures. The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) governs the IPPC and approves the international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs). The CPM created the international phytosanitary portal (IPP) as a forum to exchange national information among members of the phytosanitary community.

The IPPC is named in the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of the World Trade Organization, as a recognized forum for the development of international standards to be used in trade.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the FAO Regional Office provides support to member countries in the development of new international standards and the implementation of valid standards.

Every year the FAO Regional Office facilitates a regional meeting to review, discuss, and identify common positions regarding the proposals for new international standards and to review the progress in the implementation of existing standards. These meetings are of great importance to ensure that each country in the region fully appreciates the potential impact of new standards, actively participate in the development of new standards, and as a forum for an active exchange among countries of the region, so as to identify priorities of the region. These discussions and suggestions are forwarded to the IPPC secretariat and brought forward at the annual CPM meeting.

The FAO Regional Office has facilitated trainings on the use of the International Phytosanitary Portal (www.ippc.int). These trainings provide each country with full opportunity to use the IPP to exchange information and to fulfill their information exchange obligations under the IPPC.

Finally, the Regional Office works with member countries in the identification and nomination of regional experts to serve on the Standards Committee and specialized Panels and Working Groups of the IPPC.