IPPC/CABI Plantwise Collaboration Initiated

In recent efforts to improve collaboration on joint activities, the IPPC and CABI Plantwise have agreed to initiate secondments between their organizations to increase transparency and effectiveness. The IPPC Secretariat at FAO Headquarters in Rome welcomes Ms. Katherine Cameron, Knowledge Bank Development Manager for Plantwise, to assist in the guidance and approval of a joint work plan that will further implement these efforts.

David Nowell, the lead for the IPPC s efforts on national reporting obligations, considers that this is the beginning of a more beneficial working arrangement for both parties. I can see a lot of potential on the horizon for both organizations and look forward to the work ahead. The IPPC and CABI have always had a good working relationship and there is no reason why this cannot be extended to the CABI Plantwise initiative.

With Ms. Cameron on board, the IPPC hopes to implement several crucial projects such as harmonizing terminology used by both the IPPC and Plantwise, building necessary links between online resources managed by both teams, continuing to raise awareness about their joint mission through advocacy material, and promoting quality assurance among the IPPC and CABI.

Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, Regional Director CABI Europe-Switzerland and Plantwise Programme Executive, comments, Having a member of CABI team in Rome working closely with the IPPC will be an important step towards furthering our shared goals. It s valuable not only for building technical knowledge within the IPPC framework, but also for exploring new avenues of collaboration between CABI, the IPPC Secretariat, and national plant protection organizations worldwide.