PSW Participates in CAREC Conference on Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates

On 11-12 September 2023, the Asian Development Bank co-organized the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Conference on Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with the Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine (APPQ) of Uzbekistan, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Trade Central Asia (TCA) activity and German Development Cooperation (GIZ). Over 70 participants from CAREC countries, private sector, and development partners attended the conference.

Improving agricultural trade is a crucial element in promoting sustainable economic growth. Nevertheless, the processes related to trading agricultural products are widely regarded as some of the most intricate, expensive, and time-consuming. In June 2023, Pakistan’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP), the national plant protection organization, announced that commercial exports of all items falling under its purview would be completely shifted to PSW.

The conference highlighted the importance of strengthening the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) and coordination with Customs and other trade-related agencies; implementation of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), particularly on inspection and issuance of phytosanitary certificates; and digitalization of phytosanitary certificates to ensure safe and efficient trade.

The goal of the conference was to address the digitalization of phytosanitary certification to ease the safe trade of plants and plant products. PSW, as part of the Pakistani delegation, discussed the digitalization of cross-border trade, with a focus on PSW's integration with IPPC's e-Phyto Hub.