The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures Opens for its 9th Session

On the first day of the ninth session of the Commission of Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-9) at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Commission was welcomed by the Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organizations, Mr. Ren Wang, and with a video welcome from Mr. Nathan Guy, Minister of Primary Industries of New Zealand (http://bit.ly/1jwsdsb).

Mr. Ren Wang emphasized the importance of the role of the IPPC in developing and implementing global standards for phytosanitary measures. As these standards facilitate safe global trade of plants and plant resources, the work of the IPPC and its contracting parties is critical to address the FAO''s five Strategic Objectives.

Mr. Nathan Guy recognized the hard work of the people involved in the CPM and noted the progress by the Standards Committee and Capacity Development Committee of the IPPC. He also encouraged the CPM to engage in productive discussions during the meeting.

Throughout the week, CPM-9 plans to address various issues including adoption of new international standards and CPM recommendations. Additional notable achievements by the capacity development committee, on-going communication efforts, ways forward for dispute settlement, and improvements in national reporting obligations will also be discussed. CPM-9 participants will also benefit from many side-events planned between the Sessions.

The final report will be posted on the https://www.ippc.int/core-activities/governance/cpm shortly after the conclusion of the meeting.