This page includes all adopted International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). Always refer to the versions of the ISPMs as linked on the page.

Objectives and courses of the COPE training

The COPE in-service training courses are designed with the objective of enhancing participant's knowledge and skills for the development and maintenance of fully functional and effective national Phytosanitary systems. It further enhances harmonized Phytosanitary procedures for improved regional and international agricultural trade while preventing introduction and spread of pests.

The specific objectives of the course are to:

1. Enhance capacity of national Phytosanitary systems to protect national agriculture from introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products through trade.
2. Impart knowledge and skills on the structure, mandate and operations of National Plant Protection Organizations in implementation of Phytosanitary measures.
3. Increase African countries’ ability to compete in international markets by meeting market requirements.
4. Enhance awareness and understanding of the national, regional and international legislations, standards and agreements supporting Phytosanitary systems.
5. Create awareness on international Phytosanitary treaties and standard setting procedures.
6. Contribute to sustainable crop production and agricultural trade

Target audience

The training courses are intended for local and international participants with varying levels of Phytosanitary capacity and therefore, the facilitators will be expected to give examples and case studies with an international outlook. To maintain this international outlook, COPE secretariat will strive to invite expert facilitators from both local and international institutions. The actual delivery of the courses will be tailored to fit into the requirements of specific clients from the flower industry, vegetable and fruit industry, grain associations, public and private regulatory agencies, agricultural extension & service providers and trainers in agricultural training institutions of higher learning. Therefore, the course duration, composition and specific content of units will be flexible to satisfy the clients’ needs.

The short-term in-service training courses are open to the following local and international participants:

1. Phytosanitary managers and senior technical staff (heads of national plant quarantine service, heads of laboratories, regional Phytosanitary managers, heads of phytosanitary inspection departments) working in National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs), agricultural extension services, and other governmental regulatory agencies.
2. Subject matter specialists and technologists such as plant pathologists, seed scientists, entomologists, weed scientists and nematologists working in plant quarantine stations and diagnostic laboratories in NPPOs and other phytosanitary regulatory bodies.
3. Phytosanitary inspectors and field inspectors working for NPPOs, and other regulatory agencies in Phytosanitary systems.
4. Private sector actors including exporters and importers, farmers, agronomists, crop protection practitioners and trainers involved in agricultural production and trade.
5. Trainers from institutions of higher learning involved capacity building in agricultural sciences

Each course unit will have exercises and case studies provided at the end of the course. The indicated exercises and case studies are just a guide to the facilitators and the facilitators and participants will be expected to cover examples from various countries from where the participants will be drawn from. Prior to arrival, the participants will be requested to complete a pre-course questionnaire in order to gauge their level of knowledge. At the end of each course unit, the participants will be subjected to evaluation in the form of written quizzes, reports and group presentations.

The principle objective of COPE is to enhance capacity of Africa’s national Phytosanitary systems to protect national agriculture and increase African countries’ ability to compete in international markets by meeting market requirements. COPE offers various consultancy services across a diversified spectrum under phytosanitary system undertaken by a pool of experts. The consultancy services are tailor-made in collaboration with the requesting institutions. Some of the consultancy services offered include the following:

• Specialised external training where COPE sends experts to regional countries.
• Specialised expert work in country where COPE sends out experts to conduct an activity such as audit of phytosanitary system, seed certification system, variety testing system, seed testing system for purpose of their establishment or improvement.
• Study tours in Kenya

COPE can offer training programmes in the form of seminars, workshops and phytosanitary system site audits. It also offers training programmes to exporters to enable them meet market requirements.
COPE can assist NPPOs and RPPOs with SPS awareness. In addition, COPE can help with the understanding of SPS market access requirements when exporting or importing plant commodities.