International Plant Protection Convention Newsletter - Issue #52

 

February 2026 / Issue #52 Message from the Secretary Dear members of the plant health community,     Welcome to this February 2026 issue of our newsletter as we approach one of the most important global forums where countries advance plant health and foster global collaboration to protect plant resources and international trade from the impact of plant pests.     Together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the IPPC Secretariat will host the Twentieth Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20) from 9-13 March 2026 in Rome.     CPM‑20 will mark two decades of IPPC contracting parties, regional plant protection organizations, industry and donor representatives coming together to adopt new international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs), review progress in implementing these standards and discuss strategic priorities for strengthening global phytosanitary systems. The harmonized ISPMs, developed and implemented under the IPPC framework, facilitate international market access and strengthen global biosecurity; ensuring sustainable development. At a time when plant pests are spreading faster across international borders, threatening our food security, ecosystems and trade, CPM acts as a catalyst for innovation, resource mobilization, solutions-based leadership and multilateral collaboration. Our growth as the IPPC cannot be left to mere chance but can only be attained by deliberately working together.     Delegates attending the weeklong event will participate in the plenary discussions and side sessions on topical phytosanitary issues such as preventing pest spread through the sea containers pathway; promoting commodity-specific standards and pest surveillance capacity building under the Africa Phytosanitary Programme. A webcast link will also be available for anyone wishing to follow the plenary or side sessions online. Please visit the dedicated CPM-20 webpage on the IPPC website to find out more CPM 20 - 2026 - International Plant Protection Convention.    We look forward to welcoming all the delegates, particularly Baroness of Ullock, the Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals in the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Sahat Manaor Panggabean, Head Indonesian Quarantine Authority, who will deliver keynote addresses. QU Dongyu, the FAO Director-General and Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director General, will grace the opening plenary, which will be moderated by the NSP Director, Yurdi Yasmi. DDG Bechdol will also join us at the Science session on “Fostering plant health for safe provision of food and humanitarian aid” and launch the first-ever innovation fair at a CPM meeting. On behalf of the IPPC Secretariat, I wish to appreciate FAO’s leadership in championing plant health and resilient food systems that continue to drive plant health advocacy and unified action.     Unified action was the underlying key message at the recent meeting of executive heads of the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Convention (BLG), which I chaired. The meeting reaffirmed commitment to coordinated global action on biodiversity, plant health and sustainable development amid intensifying environmental pressures such as changes in our climate.  We look forward to harnessing this collective momentum to drive the transformative change required to meet our global goals.      Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy this issue.     Enrico Perotti  IPPC Secretary   Give us your feedback Latest news  Meeting of the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions strengthens joint action to protect plant health and biodiversity The executive heads of the world’s major biodiversity-related conventions gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome for the 2026 meeting of the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Convention (BLG). The session, chaired by Enrico Perotti, IPPC Secretary, underscored a renewed commitment to coordinated global action on biodiversity, plant health and sustainable development at a time when environmental pressures continue to intensify. Read more IPPC highlights plant health’s central role in One Health at EU Committee meeting Plant health has an essential role in the One Health approach. This was the message of the IPPC Secretariat during a meeting of the “Working Party on Plants and Plant Health Questions (COPHS)”, held under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Sarah Brunel, Lead of the Implementation and Facilitation Unit at the IPPC Secretariat, presented ongoing work in the area, with a focus on consolidating plant health’s standing as an operational pillar within the One Health agenda, especially in light of the upcoming One Health Summit in France. Read more IPPC gears up for the Twentieth Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures The IPPC is preparing for the Twentieth Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20) from 9-13 March 2026 at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Participants will review the state of plant health, address emerging phytosanitary issues and explore innovative pest management solutions. This year's session will mark two decades of CPM’s global plant health governance, a milestone in policy-making and international collaboration to facilitate safe trade and protect the world’s plant resources from pests. Read more Spotlight  Building resilient phytosanitary systems in Africa In this month’s spotlight interview, Saliou Niassy, Coordinator of the African Union Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC) and Mohamed Habib Ben Jamaa, Executive Director of the Near East and North Africa Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO), share insights on the IPPC's Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP). APP aims to strengthen capacity in surveillance of high-priority pests in Africa, using advanced digital tools and scientific approaches.  Read more Getting ahead of emerging plant pests of global concern: How the Pest Outbreak and Alert Response System is taking shape Plant pests are spreading faster across borders, threatening crop production, ecosystems and livelihoods, often reaching new regions before they are fully recognized as serious risks. To strengthen early warning and coordinated global action, IPPC Contracting Parties established the Pest Outbreak Alert and Response System (POARS) to address emerging plant pests of global concern.  Read more Announcements  Coming up: 20th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20) The IPPC Secretariat is pleased to invite the plant health community to the 20th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20), which will take place from 9-13 March 2026 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu will officially open the plenary session while Susan Hayman, Baroness Hayman of Ullock and Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Sahat Manaor Panggabean, Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Authority, will deliver keynote addresses. Read more Out now: November 2025 Standards Committee meeting report The IPPC Secretariat is pleased to announce the release of the report of the Standards Committee (SC) meeting held in November 2025. The report highlights key outcomes of the SC's discussion, including the revision of draft standards to be presented to CPM-20 for adoption, enhancing the Online Commenting System and response to the ongoing call for topics from which standards could be developed. Access it here. Read more Report of the 2025 IPPC Strategic Planning Group (SPG) meeting in now posted The IPPC Secretariat is pleased to announce that the report from the 2025 IPPC Strategic Planning Group (SPG) meeting held in Rome from October 27–29, 2025 in now posted here. Read more Launch of IPPC Short Survey on Plant Health within the One Health Approach The IPPC Secretariat announces the launch of a short survey on Plant Health within the One Health approach. The survey seeks to explore how plant health is currently understood and integrated within One Health at national, regional and global levels. The information collected will help identify gaps, opportunities and practical entry points to strengthen the role of plant health in One Health policy, coordination and implementation. The results will contribute to the work of the CPM Focus Group on Plant Health in the context of One Health and support its preliminary study. Read more CPM-20: Objections to draft ISPMs received The IPPC Secretariat received two objections to the draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) that were to be presented to the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20) in March 2026 for adoption. Read more International Day of Plant Health on 12 May 2026 Join us in the global observation of the International Day of Plant Health on 12 May 2026, with the theme “Plant Biosecurity for Food Security”. This year focuses on biosecurity as the frontline defense for food systems. By protecting our plants today, we are proactively securing the livelihoods and nutrition of billions. Read more Vacancy: Programme Officer The IPPC Secretariat invites applications for the position of Programme Officer (P-2). The successful candidate will provide technical and coordination support to advance the harmonization of phytosanitary measures globally, support the governance and functioning of the Implementation and Capacity Development Committee and facilitate the implementation of international standards, guidelines and recommendations. Read more E-learning course on “National reporting obligations” now available in Spanish The Spanish edition of the IPPC e-learning course “National reporting obligations” is now available as “Obligaciones nacionales de presentación de informes”. The course introduces key concepts related to pest reporting, focusing on national reporting systems and National reporting obligations (NROs) related to the reporting of pest occurrence, outbreak and spread. Read more CPM Bureau December virtual meeting report now available The report of the virtual meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) Bureau held on 16 and 18 December 2025 is now available. It includes follow-up actions from previous Bureau meetings as well as planning and arrangements for the CPM-20 meeting from 9 – 13 March 2026. Read more Latest calls IPPC Call for Experts – Technical Panel on Phytosanitary Treatments The IPPC Secretariat invites nominations for two experts to serve on the Technical Panel on Phytosanitary Treatments (TPPT). The selected experts will be appointed for a five-year term, starting 2026. They should be available to contribute continuously to the work of the TPPT throughout the year, attend all its annual face-to-face and virtual meetings and undertake work as required between meetings. Nominations deadline: 24 March 2026. Read more Call for Experts – Expert Working Group on Revision of the draft reorganized pest risk analysis ISPM (2023-037) The IPPC Secretariat welcomes nominations for qualified to join the Expert Working Group - Revision of the draft reorganized pest risk analysis ISPM (2023-037). The draft reorganized PRA ISPM is being revised to streamline and clarify its core principles and requirements, strengthen the link between pest risk and phytosanitary measures, improve practical implementation by NPPOs and address emerging challenges such as climate change. Read more Latest publications Now available in Arabic: Guide to participating in the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) The IPPC Secretariat is pleased to announce the release of the Arabic edition of the "Guide to participating in the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures of the International Plant Protection Convention" — now available as "دليل المشاركة في هيئة تدابير الصحة النباتية التابعة للاتفاقية الدولية لوقاية النباتات". Read more IPPC in the news Mbanza-Ngungu : les experts en formation sur les principaux organismes nuisibles aux végétaux Les experts du ministère de l’Agriculture y compris ceux de l’agence du système des Nations unies sont en formation sur les principaux organismes nuisibles pour lutter contre les maladies végétales en RDC. See more News from community Visit from high-level delegates from FAO headquarters and regional offices marks a first for Joint FAO/IAEA Centre A high‑level delegation from the FAO visited the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, with the shared goal of accelerating the transfer of nuclear-based agricultural innovations to country and regional levels. Read more Water scarcity and the pistachio predicament Maryam Gholam Alizadeh, 42, moves among the rows of pistachios. The grove is low and spreading; its leaves catch what little moisture the morning holds. On one hectare of increasingly dry land, more than 700 trees require close attention. Heat, water scarcity and contamination can undo a season’s work. As a farmer, and especially as a women farmer, she knows that access to reliable, technical knowledge and training, not a given for women in many countries, is as critical as water itself.  Read more Govt reaffirms commitment to safe trade in agricultural products Uganda has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting safe trade in agricultural products, both domestically and internationally, as it hosts Africa's National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in preparation for the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) meeting in Rome in March. Read more Video Standard Setting Procedure The Standard Setting Procedure is a transparent and inclusive process to develop, review and adopt International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures. The video introduces the concept of International Standards for Phytosnitary Measures (ISPMs) and demonstrates the development of standards throughout the Standard Setting Process.  See video In case you missed it How the next-generation of Commodity Standards are shaping safer global trade — with Joanne Wilson and Lihong Zhu In this spotlight, we highlight the work of the Technical Panel on Commodity Standards (TPCS) through insights from its Steward and Standards Committee (SC) member, Joanne Wilson, and its selected TPCS Chairperson, Lihong Zhu. Read more Follow us on: © FAO, 2026