Let’s talk about IPPC Guides and training materials

Rome, 29 March 2023. The seventeenth session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-17) discussed the key achievements of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat in developing technical resources that aim to support national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) in implementing the Convention and adopted standards. CPM-17 noted the achievements of the IPPC Secretariat through its Implementation and Facilitation Unit and the Implementation and Capacity Development Committee.

The secretariat highlighted four new IPPC e-learning courses that were launched in 2022, covering a range of topics including pest risk analysis, export certification, inspection, surveillance, pest status, and reporting obligations. Global experts who participated in working groups developed the technical content of the courses, thanks to a project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The Committee Linking Entrepreneurship – Agriculture – Development (COLEAD) and the FAO e-Learning Academy then transformed these technical materials into dynamic and engaging e-learning courses that can be completed anytime and anywhere. Since their launch, more than 1 200 people have enrolled in the online courses.

Trainees who successfully completed a course received an electronic certificate or badge that they could add to their online profile or resumes.

IPPC guides and online sources made more accessible

The secretariat also reported on the progress in securing additional translations for IPPC guides, making them more accessible to non-English speaking users. Five guides were translated to Arabic, three were translated to French and two were translated to Spanish in 2022. These translations could not have been completed without the generous support from partners, including the COMESA Secretariat, EU, COLEAD and the FAO subregional office for Mesoamerica. In addition, a searchable and sortable database that includes all IPPC guides and e-learning courses has replaced the IPPC guides and training materials webpage in the International Phytosanitary Portal. Each product contains a brief description and hyperlinks to relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), phytosanitary systems pages and other relevant guides.

Users will now find it easier to see in what language these resources are available and will allow them to open the document directly from the main webpage. Since the page was updated, the number of views has increased by about 35 percent, reaching 11 000 views per year.

Recently, two new IPPC guides have been published, namely on emergency preparedness and on the prevention, preparedness and response to Fusarium Tropical Race 4. Two more IPPC guides will be published this year on wood packaging material and e-commerce.

The CPM thanked the IPPC Secretariat, working group members, translators and proofreaders and noted that their contributions have been instrumental in developing, promoting, and translating high-quality guides and training materials. The CPM noted that these resources are important tools that will build capacity and enhance implementation of the Convention and international plant health standards.