Eight priority programmes called development agenda items (DAIs) underpin the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020-2030. They advance the ideals of the IPPC as a relevant, responsive and progressive plant health agreement. The DAIs reflect changes in the global changes that impact national, regional and global plant protection organizations and present opportunities for innovation, collaboration, research, standard setting and capacity development in emerging plant health areas.
1. Harmonization of electronic data exchange
The IPPC is supporting contracting parties to improve exporting and importing plants or plant products through the IPPC ePhyto Solution, an innovative tool for issuing digital phytosanitary certificates. The ePhyto Solution helps contracting parties to exchange phytosanitary information, reduce costs and fraud related to issuing only paper certificates and benefit from faster and less costly international trade.
2. Commodity and pathway specific international standards for phytosanitary measures
The IPPC community is developing and promoting more standards specific to commodities being traded internationally, to help contracting parties identify and manage associated pests.
3. Management of e-commerce and courier mail pathways
This development agenda item involves building stronger and better international collaboration to reduce the spread of pests and pest host material sold through online platforms or shipped via courier.
4. Developing guidance on the use of third-party entities
This work involves developing tools and resources to enable countries to use third party entities to carry out phytosanitary actions such as inspections and pest diagnosis on their behalf, while maintaining the required standards.
5. Strengthening pest outbreak and response systems
The IPPC is developing a global pest alert and response system to notify the plant health community of pest risks and to enable contracting parties to prepare and adapt their phytosanitary measures to ably manage the threats.
6. Assessment and management of climate change impacts on plant health
This development agenda item focuses on evaluating climate change impacts on plant health and international trade in plants and plant products, to assess pest risks and therefore propose appropriate phytosanitary measures to manage them. This work also involves promoting the inclusion of plant health issues on the global climate change agenda.
7. Global phytosanitary research coordination
This development agenda item promotes international research collaboration across nations, institutions, regions and disciplines to generate quality, relevant and accessible scientific knowledge to promote global plant health.
8. Diagnostic laboratory network
By 2030, the IPPC aims to establish a network of diagnostic laboratory services and protocols to help countries identify pests in a more reliably and timely way. This is a priority because any exporting country must show that its exports are pest free and importing countries must be able to detect pests in imported commodities. However, several national plant protection organisations have limited diagnostic expertise.
