Strategic Planning Group endorses IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020-2030

Rome, 8-10 October 2019. The eighth session of the IPPC Strategic Planning Group (SPG) took place at FAO headquarters in Rome. The meeting was attended by 36 participants from 27 countries, including CPM Bureau members, chairpersons of the IC, SC and IYPH ISC, and a representative of the Standard and Trade Development Facility (STDF).

The Chairperson Mr Lucien KUAME KONAN opened the SPG meeting and welcomed participants underlining that the SPG provides strategic perspectives to the work of the IPPC and provides advice to the Commission for the implementation of the Convention.

The SPG finalized the IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020-2030, which will be presented to CPM-15 (2020) for final adoption. The new version reflects the recommendations made by the last session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-14), and editorial changes requested by participants.

SPG participants discussed about IPPC sustainable funding, and recommended that FAO ensure increase of the FAO Regular Programme budget allocation for the IPPC by 2 million per year, in view of IPPC’s increasing role and work programme.

The SPG also considered the development of a new IPPC communications strategy based on the IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020-2030, which would be developed after the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), to learn from its experience throughout 2020. In relation to the IYPH scope, the SPG recommended keeping the original scope and definition of plant health as adopted by CPM and possibly broadening it to related concepts like integrated pest management.

Other key discussions focused on the preparation of the CPM-15 Ministerial segment, commodity standards, CPM recommendations, an action plan for a pest outbreak alert and response system, surveillance and dispute settlement.

In the words of Mr Jingyuan XIA, IPPC Secretary: “The SPG is a strategic forum for the IPPC community. We are pleased to see the IPPC Strategic Framework for 2020-2030 taking its final shape, and to refer to the new IPPC mission, along with the three new core activities: standard setting; implementation and capacity development; and communication and international cooperation, as well as their related eight development agendas”.

The report will be posted soon at this link.

More pictures at this link.

Participants of the 2019 Strategic Planning Group. Copyright: FAO/IPPC