Japan recognizes the importance of support to the Implementation and Capacity Development work

Rome, 1 April 2021. The Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC) report to the 15th session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-15) highlighted the need to provide sufficient International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat support for CPM IC operations. The CPM noted a number of the Implementation and Capacity Development (ICD) activities that the committee has been working on.

The ICD activities have largely been relying on voluntary contributions. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan is one of several donors provided voluntary contributions through special projects or/and Multi Donor Trust Funds. Between 2017 and 2020, Japan supported a trust fund project on “Cooperation for development of the ePhyto solution and implementation of the Convention and International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (GCP/GLO/827/JPN)”.

The project was coordinated by Phytosanitary Consultant Ms Masumi Yamamoto, who commented, “Through the work at the IPPC Secretariat, now I am more convinced of the importance of the participation of contracting parties in the discussions of the IPPC work to move forward ensuring a global perspective. At the next stage, I wish to contribute to the IPPC community in some way from the National Plant Protection Organization of Japan”.

Mr Brent Larson, Implementation and Facilitation Unit Lead of the IPPC Secretariat said, “We recognize the increasing demand of contracting parties in the delivery of the Implementation and Capacity Development activities, but the fact is that most of those activities rely on voluntary contributions of donors. There are many high priority Implementation and Capacity Development topics adopted by the CPM, nevertheless, not all of them are funded right now.”

Mr Hirofumi Uchida, Director, International Affairs Office of the MAFF said, “The ICD activities and the Standard Setting activities are mutually indispensable for IPPC community to promote plant health and harmonize phytosanitary measures among Contracting Parties”.

In October 2020, the MAFF provided secondment of staff to continue support to the IPPC Secretariat to deliver the high priority ICD activities identified by the CPM.

For more information on Japan’s contribution, read “Building Confidence among Trading Partners through Strengthened Electronic Phytosanitary Certification”