The Major Achievements of the Implementation Facilitation Unit of the IPPC Secretariat for 2016 and Key Activities for 2017

Photograph Copyright: IPPC 2016; Derric Nimmo: Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)

The Implementation Facilitation Unit (IFU) of the IPPC Secretariat has made significant progress in 2016, working hard to facilitate the implementation of the Convention. Providing support to countries to improve the effectiveness of their NPPOs is a cornerstone of the work of the IPPC and 2016 has seen some remarkable achievements.

Major highlight achievements in the past year include:

1) Management of 13 active projects at the national, regional, global level with two global projects in the pipeline.

2) PCEs applied in Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine under the regional project Strengthening capacities of the national phytosanitary control services in 4 Eastern European countries TCP/RER/3503 and in Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine and Lebanon under the Strengthening Biosecurity in selected MENA and Horn of Africa GCP/INT/165/UK regional project. National implementation projects are supporting PCEs in South Sudan, Georgia and Moldova.

3) Execution of the STDF Project 401 Training of Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) Facilitators.

4) Technical support provided to CPs through IPPC implementation projects/PCE application.

5) Strong reception and active involvement by IPPC Regional Workshop participants with 7 IPPC Regional Workshops arranged, coordinated, delivered and evaluated with active support from all Secretariat teams.

6) 7 training and special topic and side sessions organized and delivered at CPM-11.

7) Good governance of the Capacity Development Committee (CDC) and the Technical Consultation of Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs) with 2 Capacity Development meetings held and the 27th Technical Consultation- RPPO meeting successfully held in Morocco.

8) South-South cooperation project with China.

2016 saw the IFUs commitment towards One IPPC. The IFU actively engaged in a number of crosscutting Secretariat activities to support and realize a stronger, more integrated and cooperative IPPC. Team members from the IFU were represented in IPPC Resource Mobilization, Communications and Advocacy task forces, Standards Setting (collaborative organization of IPPC Regional Workshops) and financial management activities. The IFU is committed to continued team building and the One IPPC theme for 2017.

The IFU s key priorities for 2017 include: 1) Managing 14 IPPC projects (STDF 401, E-Phyto, IRSS, ASTF, etc); 2) Conducting at least 8 PCE s; 3) Enhancing the Pilot programme on pest surveillance; 4) Implementing the E-Phyto Hub project; 5) The development of 2 manuals (Risk Communication for PRA and Pest Free Areas Manuals); 6) The development of a new IPPC implementation project; and 7) The provision of technical support services as needed and specifically to the International Year of Plant Health initiative.

To find out more about what the IFU is up to in 2017, keep up to date with IPPC Headline News.