Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

new plant health related legislation, progress and development in market access, exports and imports
operations.
The NBC was established in 2003 as an interim policy/reviewing body with the Department
of Environment in association with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF), the
designated National Plant Protection Organization and other government agencies working at all
ports of entry. The NBC completed the development of the National Biosafety Framework (NBF)
in 2004, including the development of the national Import Risk Assessment (IRA) for the importation
of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) in compliance with the CBD/CP and ISPM No. 11 rev. 2.
In addition, the Biosafety Act 2004 was completed and shall be used as the legal framework for the
implementation of the NBF. MAFF under the NBF is the operational arm of the NBF basically in
the conduction of IRA for the trans-boundary movement of LMOs.
The NCC was established early in 2003 as the national policy authority within MAFF supported
by the Ministry of Health and is responsible for the development and implementation of national
policies and programmes on food safety issues. With the technical assistance of FAO, a Food Safety
bill was drafted and the national import and export guidelines and food quality assurance standards
were developed, with specific guidelines and attention given to pesticide residue and labeling.
The Quarantine and Quality Management Division (QQMD) of the MAFF was the national
coordinating body responsible for addressing priority plant and quarantine health issues in Tonga,
and for promoting confidence in Tonga’s agricultural export industries. The Agricultural Export
Commodities Act 2002 was finally gazetted and the legal export guidelines prescribed will be
implemented next year for export operations. The Research and Extension Division (RED) of the
MAFF was the agency responsible for pest management research and pest surveillance. MAFF
was still the executing authority for the national pesticide code of conduct. In 2002, the amendment
of the 1988 Pesticides Act was finally gazetted in 2004.
Tonga NPPO continued to participate in international and regional phytosanitary standard
setting. The QQMD was an active participant in the drafting of the ISPMs during the regional
technical consultations in Fiji and Samoa in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and after the 23 rd APPPC
Session. Tonga has always committed to working in association with the members of the Pacific
Plant Protection Organization and the Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission in the discussion
of market access issues and biosecurity operation procedures.
3.20 Viet Nam
Agriculture production continued with great success over the past two years. Plant protection
work contributed significantly to the minimizing of losses caused by pests and played an important
role in facilitating trade following international rules.
Viet Nam is now in the final stage of accession to WTO and has committed itself to
implementing the SPS agreement immediately after acquiring membership as of February 2005;
Viet Nam has submitted to the Director-General of FAO, the Instrument of Adherence to IPPC and
has deposited the Instrument of Acceptance for the revised text 1997 of IPPC.
During 2004-2005, pest infestation was lower than previous years. New detections of pests
recorded during 2004-2005 were: white peach scale (Pseudaulacaspis pentagona), bean weevil
(Acanthoscelides obtectus) and Mexico bean weevil (Zabrotes subfasciatus).
The National IPM programme continued with 13 IPM-related projects which were directly
implemented by the Plant Protection Department in collaboration with various stakeholders, particularly
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