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2. OPENING SESSION
2.1 Opening Remarks
The opening remarks were delivered by Ms. Asna Booty Othman, Director of the
Crop Protection and Plant Quarantine Division, Department of Agriculture Malaysia. She
took this opportunity to welcome the distinguished speakers, participants and guests to the
workshop and expressed thanks to the Deputy Director General of Agriculture I for
officiating the workshop. She furthermore clarified that this workshop was the continuation
of the pilot workshop hosted by Malaysia in January 2005. This workshop is attended by 14
participants, consisting of senior plant protection officers who are involved directly in
phytosanitary information exchange from 11 countries of the Asia Region and is part of the
overall program of FAO to promote capacity building in national phytosanitary information
exchange obligation, and to provide basic training to officially nominated “information
officers” on how to use the IPP to meet reporting obligations under the IPPC.
The Secretariat of the IPPC has established a web-based information system known
as the International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP). This Portal which is designed to hold
phytosanitary information in accordance with the IPPC allows contracting parties to use the
system to meet their national information exchange obligations as well as for their
phytosanitary decision making.
To achieve the above objective, the 4-day workshop program focused on the following
topics:
• Information exchange under IPPC
• National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) information exchange obligations
• SPS notification system
• Preparation of information for entry into the IPP
• Skills or hands on training on data entry and
• Navigation of the IPP
• Evaluation of the IPP system
As chairman of the organizing committee and project coordinator for this workshop, Ms.
Asna extended her appreciation to the speaker Mr. David C. Nowell of FAO, who has
traveled all the way from Rome to share his expertise and knowledge. The sharing of his vast
experience in the various fields on phytosanitary information exchange, reporting obligations
under the IPPC, SPS notification system and information entry and retrieval system will no
doubt assist and bring much enlightenment to the participants of this workshop.
In closing, on behalf of the organizing committee, she thanked the Honourable Y. Bhg.
Dato’ Sofian Mohd Salleh, Director Deputy General of Agriculture I for his presence to
officiate this workshop, to FAO Rome and officials at its regional office in Bangkok for the
support and encouragement to host this workshop, and to the Organizing Committee
members and Secretariat who have put so much effort in making this meeting a success.
2.2 Welcoming Address
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