The 13th Session of Commission for Phytosanitary Measures launched in Rome Italy

The 13th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-13) of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) officially launched on 16 April 2018 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The meeting was opened by FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources, Ms Maria Helena Semedo, and chaired by the IPPC Secretary, Mr Jingyuan Xia, with presence of Ms Cristiana Pasca Palmer (Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity), Ms. Lois Ransom (the CPM Chair), and Mr Francisco Javier Trujillo Arriaga (the Vice Chair of the CPM). Mr David Littleproud, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources of Australia sent a congratulation message to the CPM 13. More than 478 participants, representing 140 Contracting Parties and 31 observer organizations, are attending the meeting.

In her opening remarks, Ms Semedo stated that 66 years ago, the International Plant Protection Convention was established with the objective to protect the world s plants from pests. Since then, the IPPC has significantly contributed to promoting food security, protecting the environment, and facilitating safe trade with nearly 100 adopted international standards for phytosanitary measures, covering all areas of plant quarantine. She added that this year, the IPPC community is promoting the annual theme Plant Health and Environmental Protection and having partners join us to promote this initiative is very crucial for the success of the year.

In his congratulation message delivered by Mr Kim Ritman, Australia s IPPC Official Contact Point, Mr. Littleproud emphasized that the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures is a very important meeting and forum to discuss issues of food security, environmental protection and trade facilitation. Setting and implementing international standards on phytosanitary measures is crucial to achieve healthy plants and with them the food on our tables and the oxygen we breathe.

Other key topics to be discussed during the CPM week from 16-20 April: a new IPPC strategic framework for 2020-2030; sustainable funding of the IPPC work programme; five new and revised International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), renewed cooperation between the standard setting and implementation components of the IPPC Secretariat; support for the declaration of 2020 as the International Year of Plan Health in 2020 (IYPH 2020) at the UN General Assembly; and promotion of annual theme of plant health and environmental protection.