FAO.org

Fiji, 5 November 2023 - From November 5^th to the 12^th, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and FAO organized a pesticide registration toolkit training workshop in Suva, Fiji. The training workshop gathered staff from pesticide regulatory authorities of ten (10) countries from across the Pacific including: Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, The Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Solomon Islands.  The training sought to support the development of the Pacific Regional Pesticide Registration Scheme (PRPRS). The toolkit training provided participants with the understanding of how the toolkit works and how it could be used to support the PRPRS.  The harmonisation of pesticide registration in the Pacific region is part of a coordinated effort between member countries, FAO and the SPC.  The PRPRS was developed by National Pesticide Registrars working jointly on pesticide registration through earlier workshops held by FAO and SPC in the Pacific. For more information on the PRPRS click here.

A large part of the training focused on the consideration of registrations using information from overseas regulators considering data requirements and assessment methods used by other regulators.  Participants worked through the modules on decision making, data requirements, assessment methods, mitigation measures and information sources. Additionally, modules on HHPs and alternatives were also presented and discussed, as was the use of the Toolkit in the day-to-day work of pesticide registration staff.