CPM-9 Preparation Message From Bureau & Secretariat

The following joint message from the CPM Bureau and IPPC Secretariat was sent to all the IPPC national contact points in order to help the participants prepare for CPM-9: Dear IPPC Contracting Parties, Please find some brief notes, which are intended to help you prepare for participation in CPM-9. Scheduling - Please be punctual for the sessions, which will start at designated times. (NOTE: the morning plenary sessions from Tuesday will begin at 0930AM) - Capacity development sessions have been set up for the Sunday before CPM. These are obligatory for those who receive financial assistance for travel. Others are welcome if they register in advance (the deadline, 10 March, is passed but still you can try at ). - There will be NO evening sessions this year while some side sessions are planned in the evening; you will find more time to eat, network and rest during this year s CPM. - Several side sessions may interest you, please check the schedule: (). Various capacity development products will be available. Key issues which will benefit from your early consideration: - Please agree nominations or re-nominations of your region s Bureau member, as well as the subsidiary bodies. For the first time regions will be nominating replacement Bureau members. As each region has its own nomination process, please be sure that your region has coordinated all nominations by the time of CPM-9. This may be the appropriate time to consider and discuss the improvement of your own regional process. - The proposal for Strengthening Implementation of the IPPC and ISPMs (Agenda Item 10.2.1, ) is one of the most important issues for CPM in the longer term. Please read this document carefully. - There are two agenda points for CPM Recommendations: Agenda item 8.2 (Document CPM 2014/07) on setting up a Process for Adopting Recommendations () and Agenda item 15 (Document CPM 2014/14, ) which proposes two new recommendations for adoption, on Aquatic plants and on Internet trade. These were presented at the last CPM and have been discussed and modified during the year. - The document on partnership, cooperation and liaison in Agenda item 8.1 (Document CPM 2014/21, ) is intended to provide the current situation in order to seek the establishment of a proper process to work with other organizations in an effective way. - For the Contracting Parties Reports of Success and Challenges of Implementation (Agenda Item 10.6), we will propose to have a standing item for future CPMs to allow contracting parties to share successes or challenges they have had in implementing the IPPC and ISPMs. In CPM 9 we will pilot this new item and the Secretariat is contacting a few contracting parties for their presentation. - Regarding electronic exchange of phytosanitary certification information (e-Phyto): The Secretariat intends to have an English language version of a study available in time for CPM9 which explores the possibility of developing a secure hub for the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certification information. Others - As you may be aware, the WTO Ministerial meeting reached agreement on the new Agreement on Trade Facilitation (the text is here: ). An analytical exercise is ongoing in the FAO to identify the implications for IPPC related issues, but participants are encouraged to understand the situation and have good communication with their colleagues involved in the negotiations. Depending on the progress of the analytical exercise, we may be able to discuss this issue during CPM 9 (the time is currently not listed in the draft agenda and would be added under Agenda Item 18 Other business if appropriate). With our best regards, Yukio Yokoi, Secretary to the IPPC Steve Ashby, Chair, Commission on Phytosanitary Measures Image: School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio, 1505.