IPPC and COLEACP: Partnering on Plant Health for the SDGs

The signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FAO’s International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat, and the Comité de Liaison Europe-Afrique-Caraïbes-Pacifique (COLEACP) took place this month. The MoU aims to promote plant health and strengthen phytosanitary capacities through a set of rules to better manage plant diseases  and ensure food safety, improve food security and create resilient livelihoods.

As part of the MoU, the IPPC and COLEACP have agreed to organize a number of activities such as trainings, capacity building and technical assistance aimed at enabling small businesses to comply with the rules in a sustainable manner. Both partners will also develop two technical e-learning courses on Pest Risk Analysis and Export Certification. These courses will be publicly available as of the beginning of 2022 and are of particular relevance to small farmers in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Intervening on behalf of FAO,  Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol underlined the importance of this new partnership: “This is exactly the type of engagements that FAO is looking to do more often, the kind that are deliberate, smart, careful and are about impact and real delivery of work together. I am confident that this partnership will help us promote a better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life as we continue to work towards the achievement of the SDGs together,” she said.

FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji stressed the commitment of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels to continue its active role in further strengthening cooperation and building bridges between different institutions. He added that “Partnerships that are enriched by diversity allow us to benefit from different perspectives and experiences, making our joint endeavors even more impactful”

You can read more about the IPPC’s work on plant health here.