WTO discussion paper – IPPC OEWG 8-12 December 2008 Dr Kenza Le Mentec Economic Affairs Officer STDF Secretariat Agriculture and Commodities Division

2 Overview Plant health and trade IPPC, the SPS Agreement and global trade Measuring national phytosanitary capacity Phytosanitary capacity building Measuring impact of phytosanitary technical assistance Role of the STDF

3 Plant health and trade Increased gobal merchandise trade (2.7%, ): greater potential for spread of pests Cost of pest spread: Cost of eradication and control, production losses, environmental damage. Compounds poverty in developing countries Lost trade opportunities, difficulty to access foreign markets

4 IPPC, the SPS Agreement and global trade IPPC recognized as standard setting body for plant health under the SPS Agreement ISPMs further the implementation of the SPS Agreement ISPMs provide building blocks for phytosanitary systems and thus participation in international trade Growing phytosanitary regulation -> trade concerns WTO supports efforts to enhance developing countrys effective participation in the IPPC.

5 Measuring national phytosanitary capacity Limits of capacity evaluation tools OECD Paris principles : Importance of demand driven approach Placing phytosanitary needs in broader development plans and poverty reduction strategies Paris Principles: Local dialogue, local ownership, co-ordination (e.g. One UN) NPPO as plant health advocates

6 Phytosanitary capacity building Difficult to obtain accurate information on phytosanitary technical assistance activities -> under-reporting -> activities are part of broader programmes Importance of accurate information on past, ongoing and planned capacity building activities to avoid duplication of effort, seek synergies and enhance donor coordination IPPC phtosanitary strategy can give focus to phytosanitary capacity building efforts

7 Measuring impact of phytosanitary technical assistance Phytosanitary capacity building should show impact on broader objectives than immediate plant health such as market access, increased revenues and poverty alleviation IPPC should integrate impact indicators into the strategy for building national phytosanitary capacity

8 Role of the STDF Advocacy linkages with wide-reaching initiatives (EIF, Aid for Trade) Coordination activities tracking technical assistance flows, information sharing, thematic events STDF as a source of funding turns good ideas into bankable projects

Kenza Le Mentec The World Trade Organization Tel: +41 (0) website: