New project 'Rolling out Systems Approach Globally' launched by IPPC: Contracting parties urged to participate in new call

The recently launched project will increase opportunities for contracting parties to export plant products through better pest risk management. © FAO/Giampiero Diana

Exporting plants and plant products are an important part of economic development in many developing countries. However, international and domestic trade can introduce pests that plant resources, crops, biodiversity and forests. National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) are crucial for implementing plant health schemes that prevent new pests from entering their territory while still facilitating trade.

A recently launched project Rolling out Systems Approach Globally: Sharing tools for enhanced application of Systems Approach and market negotiation on plant pest risk (MTF/INT/336/STF) will increase opportunities of contracting parties to export plant products by developing national capacity to deal with phytosanitary issues during market access negotiations. It also seeks to provide more options for managing pest risk.

The project is funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and implemented by the IPPC Secretariat, in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London (ICL). The IPPC and ICL are providing in-kind contributions for implementing the project. The project is open for submission of potential trade cases.

The IPPC Secretariat has recently issued a call for Trade Cases on pest risk management to improve negotiations over market access of contracting parties that would participate in the project. The selected Trade Cases will receive support in implementing the pest risk management decision support tools for export commodities.

The project seeks to expand the use of Systems Approach tools which have already been successfully piloted in Southeast Asia. The tools will contribute to developing trade proposals, mapping phytosanitary risks and identifying actions to be undertaken along the whole production chain. They will also help countries strike the fine balance between preventing the introduction of regulated and invasive plant pests while still allowing goods and people to move freely.

The expected outputs of the project are:

• practical tools that demonstrate predicted efficacy of alternative plant health risk management measures produced for promising trade cases from developing countries;

• systems approach tools more broadly accessible, in particular to developing countries; and

• countries assisted in market access negotiations for plant products.

For more information about the Rolling out Systems Approach Globally: Sharing tools for enhanced application of Systems Approach and market negotiation on plant pest risk (MTF/INT/336/STF)project, please see:

• https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/beyond-compliance-project/

• http://www.standardsfacility.org/PG-503