Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

REPORT OF
THE TW ENTY -FOURTH SESSION
OF
THE ASIA AND PACIFIC PLANT PROTECTION COM M ISSION
5 to 9 September 2005
Bangkok, Thailand
1 . Opening of the session and organiz ational matters
1 .1 Attendance
T h e tw e n ty -fo u rth se ssio n o f th e A sia a n d P a c ific P la n t P ro te c tio n C o m m issio n (A P P P C )
w a s h e ld in B a n g k o k , T h a ila n d fro m 5 to 9 S e p te m b e r 2 0 0 5 . F ifty (5 0 ) d e le g a te s fro m 2 0 m e m b e r
c o u n trie s o f th e c o m m issio n , n a m e ly , A u stra lia , B a n g la d e sh , C a m b o d ia , C h in a , D e m o c ra tic P e o p le ’s
R e p u b lic o f K o re a , F iji, In d ia , In d o n e sia , L a o P e o p le ’s D e m o c ra tic R e p u b lic , M a la y sia , M y a n m a r,
N e p a l, N e w Z e a la n d , P a k ista n , P h ilip p in e s, R e p u b lic o f K o re a , S ri L a n k a , T h a ila n d , T o n g a a n d V ie t
N a m a tte n d e d th e m e e tin g . O n e d e le g a te fro m J a p a n a n d th re e fro m th e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e ric a
a tte n d e d a s o b se rv e rs. T h e re w e re 3 3 o b se rv e rs fro m T h a ila n d . T h e re w e re a lso re p re se n ta tiv e s
fro m C ro p L ife A sia , th e In te rn a tio n a l R u b b e r R e se a rc h a n d D e v e lo p m e n t B o a rd (IR R D B ) a n d th e
P a c ific P la n t P ro te c tio n O rg a n iz a tio n (P P P O ). T h e list o f p a rtic ip a n ts is a tta c h e d a s A n n e x I.
1 .2 Introductory remarks by M r Somchai Charnnaronkul, Deputy Secretary General,
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, Chairperson
of the Organiz ing Committee
M r S o m c h a i e x te n d e d a w a rm w e lc o m e to th e d e le g a te s a n d o b se rv e rs, a n d e x p re sse d h is
p le a su re a t th e im p re ssiv e tu rn o u t w h ic h h e a n tic ip a te d w o u ld p ro d u c e a su c c e ssfu l m e e tin g . H e
stre sse d th e im p o rta n c e o f p la n t p ro te c tio n in th e im p le m e n ta tio n o f in te rn a tio n a l tra d e a n d n o te d
th e ro le o f th e (A P P P C ) a s re g io n a l c o o rd in a to r in a c h ie v in g th e o b je c tiv e s o f th e In te rn a tio n a l P la n t
P ro te c tio n C o n v e n tio n (IP P C ).
M r S o m c h a i a lso re ite ra te d th e c o m m itm e n t o f T h a ila n d to p la n t q u a ra n tin e , in c lu d in g th e ir
e x p e rie n c e s fro m in v o lv e m e n t in th e IP P C fo r th e e sta b lish m e n t o f p h y to sa n ita ry sta n d a rd s. In th e
a re a o f p e stic id e m a n a g e m e n t, g u id e lin e s w e re b a se d o n th e R o tte rd a m C o n v e n tio n . A n u m b e r o f
a c tiv itie s o n In te g ra te d P e st M a n a g e m e n t (IP M ) w e re a lso m e n tio n e d , e sp e c ia lly in c o tto n a n d v e g e ta b le
c u ltiv a tio n , d e riv in g fro m fa rm e rs’ tra in in g th ro u g h F a rm e r F ie ld S c h o o ls (F F S s). M r S o m c h a i sa id
th a t h e h o p e d th e fo ru m w o u ld fu rth e r e n h a n c e u n d e rsta n d in g o f th e se im p o rta n t a sp e c ts.
In c o n c lu sio n , M r S o m c h a i th a n k e d th e F o o d a n d A g ric u ltu re O rg a n iz a tio n o f th e U n ite d
N a tio n s (F A O ), R e g io n a l O ffic e fo r A sia a n d P a c ific fo r th e ir su p p o rt a n d e n c o u ra g e m e n t le a d in g
to th e su c c e ssfu l h o stin g o f th is m e e tin g , a n d a lso to th e O rg a n iz in g C o m m itte e a n d S e c re ta ria t fo r
th e ir u n tirin g e ffo rts in e n su rin g th e e ffic ie n t o p e ra tio n o f th e m e e tin g .
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