__________WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/271
27 July 2001
(01-3768)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
MATTERS OF INTEREST ARISING FROM THE WORK OF
OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS
Statement by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
at the meeting of 10-11 June 2001
1. The representative of the IPPC summarized the outcomes of the Third Session of the Interim
Commission on the Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM)  held on 2-6 April 2001 at FAO Headquarters in
Rome.  He noted that ICPM had a heavy but pro ductive agenda including the adoption of three new
standards:  Pest risk analysis for quarantine pests ;  Guidelines for phytosanitary certificates ; and
Guidelines for the notification of non-compliance and emergency actions .  Also adopted were
amendments to the Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms  and a supplement to the Glossary on the
Interpretation and application of the concept of official control .  It was noted that the supplement on
official control was formulated in direct response to the request of the SPS Committee.
2. In addition, the representative of the IPPC indicated that the ICPM had agreed on the terms of
reference and rules of procedure for its Standards Committee, it completed non-binding disputesettlement procedures, and adopted criteria for the recognition of regional plant protection
organizations.  It also adopted a strategic plan and agreed on a number of new initiatives in particular
as regards technical assistance and information exchange.  The Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation
(PCE) was adopted to provide countries with a tool for assessing their phytosanitary capacity as the
basis for formulating national strategies for technical assistance.  Information exchange initiatives
included the establishment of the International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP) as an Internet-based system
for countries to share official information.  It was noted that this system was to be integrated with thelarger information portal system being put in pla ce by FAO for food safety and agricultural health.
3. The ICPM also adopted position statements on the phytosanitary aspects of genetically
modified organisms, biosafety and invasive species and added further initiatives for cooperation with
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).  Current activities between the IPPC and CBD were
highlighted, including in particular the establishment of a memorandum of cooperation between theorganizations.
4. The representative of the IPPC reported that the ICPM had identified five priority topics for
new standards:  Risk analysis for the environmental hazards of plant pests; Pest risk analysis for
regulated non-quarantine pests; Guidelines for evaluating the efficacy of phytosanitary measures; Low
pest prevalence, and Irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment.  The ICPM also elected a new Bureauwith Mr. Felipe Canale (Uruguay) as Chairperson and decided that its Fourth Session will be on 11-
13 March 2002.
5. In addition, it was noted that the IPPC’s Interim Standards Committee met in May 2001 and
had approved several draft standards:  Amendments to the Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms ;
Integrated Measures for pest risk management (systems approaches);  Regulatd non-quarantine pests- concept and application ; Pest reporting ;  and Guidelines for regulating wood packing material used
in the transport of commodities .  These standards were distributed to governments in June 2001 for
review.  Comments must be submitted to the IPPC Secretariat before 31 October 2001.