IPPC Secretary Osama El-Lissy retires

Rome, 23 August 2025. Osama El-Lissy, Secretary of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) retires on 31 August 2024.

Since joining the IPPC Secretariat in 2022, El-Lissy has helped to elevate the importance of global plant health, working diligently to advance the mission of the IPPC, and ensure effective implementation of the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020-2030. His dedicated guidance of the IPPC community and zeal in advocating for the IPPC as the main global plant health standard-setting and implementation body were exceptional. El-Lissy’s steadfast support and focus on organizational growth, professionalism, operational excellence and thought leadership contributed significantly to advancing the global plant health discourse and the IPPC’s role in protecting plant resources from pests. “I am grateful to the IPPC leadership and community, our partners, donors, colleagues at the IPPC Secretariat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and everyone who has contributed to my work as IPPC Secretary; thank you for journeying with me. Serving the global plant health community as the IPPC Secretary has been one of the highest honours of my career. I believe that the work we have achieved together to protect plant health and safe trade has created indelible prints in our global human experiences and will certainly transform agriculture, economies, and the world”, he said.

Under his leadership, the IPPC community observed the first-ever International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) on 12 May, organized the first international plant health conference, developed several International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), developed and launched the IPPC Global Communications Strategy as well as the IPPC Partnership Framework, produced plant health technical resources and introduced transformational initiatives to improve outcomes of the plant health community’s work. One such initiative is the Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP), part of the IPPC’s global phytosanitary programme vision. APP is empowering plant health agencies in Africa with scientific approaches and digital platforms for improved capacity to monitor, detect, manage and prevent pests in the most effective and timely manner.

"Dr El-Lissy's organizational leadership has significantly strengthened the IPPC, and his proactive engagement and outreach to the IPPC community, Members, resource partners, and other stakeholders have greatly enhanced our collective efforts", said Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General.

During El-Lissy’s term of office, the IPPC welcomed one more contracting party – the Federal Republic of Somalia. This increased the IPPC’s membership to 185 Contracting Parties, indicating its growing relevance in global plant protection and stewardship of phytosanitary standards.

Gregory Wolff, Chair of the IPPC’s main governing body -- the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) --, commended El-Lissy for his leadership and dedication to the IPPC.

“I am proud of the work we have achieved as the IPPC Community under Dr El-Lissy’s expert guidance and leadership as IPPC Secretary”, Wolff said. “As a plant health champion, he has been instrumental in leading the implementation of the IPPC’s Strategic Framework, promoting the IPPC Community’s clear passion for phytosanitary excellence, fostering transparent communications, and bringing about a greater focus on pursuing new initiatives with practical solutions to better understand and address regional and global plant health challenges,” he added.

El-Lissy joined the IPPC Secretariat after a long and distinguished career at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), where he was the United States chief plant health officer and head of delegation to the IPPC. As USDA’s Deputy Administrator for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine, he built a strong partnership with national and international stakeholders in safeguarding agriculture and facilitating safe trade around the world.

Through his astute leadership, El-Lissy has helped the IPPC to nurture strong relationships with contracting parties, donors and partners, thus growing contributions to the IPPC Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

About FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s objective is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO works to transform agri-food systems by promoting sustainable production and consumption, including protecting the world’s plants to achieve global food security. FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide and has 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union.

ABOUT IPPC

The IPPC is an international treaty ratified by 185 countries, aiming to protect the world's plant resources from the spread and introduction of pests and promote safe trade. International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), developed under the auspices of the IPPC, assist countries in implementing national phytosanitary standards and import requirements. The IPPC was deposited with the FAO Director-General after its adoption in 1951 and is the sole global standard-setting entity for plant health.