Conclusions from the Seminar on International Trade and Invasive Alien Species of the Standards and Trade Development Facility
The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), in collaboration with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) organized a Seminar on International Trade and Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Geneva on 12-13 July 2012.
The seminar sought to:
- raise awareness about the mutually beneficial goals of the SPS Agreement and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
- foster collaboration between the SPS and the CBD "communities" at both regional and national levels; and
- review initiatives that aim to build national and/or regional capacities to manage the entry and spread of IAS, including pests and diseases, and discuss common challenges, good practices, and additional capacity building efforts required (e.g. assessment needs, pest risk analyses (PRA), surveillance, development of training toolkits and materials, etc.).
The Seminar was attended by approximately 110 participants working in areas related to both biodiversity and SPS measures.
The key findings and conclusions are summarized in a briefing note which can be viewed on the seminar webpage: http://www.standardsfacility.org/en/TAIAS.htm
Sources
EPPO Secretariat (2012-11).