Global Plant Health Surveillance

Global Plant Health Surveillance

IC lead: Chris Dale (Australia)

Surveillance is an obligation of a national plant protection organization (NPPO) and underpins other obligations and phytosanitary decision-making. It is a critical part of the national phytosanitary system. Plant pest surveillance plays a key role in the overall mandate of the NPPO and is required by Article IV.2(b) of the IPPC.

Implementation Pilot Programme on Surveillance (2015-2018)

Conceptualized and developed during CPM-9 (2014) through an Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on implementation and on the basis of a 2011 Implementation Review and Support System (IRSS) review of ISPM 6 implementation, the Implementation Pilot Programme on Surveillance (pilot programme) was formally approved by CPM-10 (2015).

Subsequently, an Informal Working Group was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2016, with the support of APPPC and the Republic of Korea to work on the three selected pests. Two factsheets (Facing the threat of Xylella fastidiosa together and Invasive ants as a biosecurity threat) were further developed and posted on the IPP.

During CPM-13 (2018), the Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC) and Standards Committee (SC) were formally requested to review and evaluate the progress of the pilot programme. The SC and IC assigned a SC and IC member respectively to evaluate the pilot programme and the evaluation team developed a review paper to be reported to the IC and SC and then to CPM-14 (2019).

CPM-14 (2019) discussed the results of the evaluation of the pilot programme and noted the pilot did not achieve the targeted outcome, noting that there was a lack of financial and human resources to implement the project. The CPM made recommendations on the development and implementation of future programme initiatives.

2019 IC, SC, SPG and Bureau discussions

The IC and SC discussed options on how to progress a surveillance implementation initiative at global level and developed a proposal for coordination of an international surveillance implementation programme which was presented to the Bureau. The Bureau agreed the below activities should be conducted by the IPPC Secretariat, these were also noted by the SPG and set out a work plan for the Global Plant Health Surveillance Programme:

• Revision of the Plant Pest Surveillance Guide (2017-049) (published in 2021): this includes the review and revision of the guide to help ensure it is in line with the newly adopted ISPM 6 (Surveillance). The Working Group of experts has been reactivated.
• Surveillance webpage on the IPP (published in 2020): this includes the development of a Surveillance component page on the IPP which will be part of the Phytosanitary System page.
• Global Surveillance Projects Register: this includes the establishment of a global plant health surveillance projects register to be hosted on the IPP or external surveillance portal and populated & maintained on an annual basis.
• International Pest Free Area (PFA) & Surveillance Symposium (delivered in 2019): this facilitated and consolidated of surveillance technical materials (presentations, case studies, posters, projects and expertise) for the 2019 International PFA and Surveillance Symposium. These resources were reviewed by the PFA and Surveillance experts and presented during the symposium, and they are now available on the webpage.

In addition, the IPPC Secretariat is working to create the synergy with surveillance activities that are embedded in any other projects or programmes that the IPPC Secretariat is involved in.

↓↓↓ Download multiple files