4. Legacy
and
way forward

At the Twenty-seventh Session of the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG), the Government of Zambia proposed the establishment of an International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to be observed by the international community on 12 May each year. The proposal was endorsed unanimously by COAG in October 2020, as well as by the FAO Council and Conference, respectively in December 2020 and July 2021. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu forwarded the FAO Conference resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for its final endorsement at the Seventy-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 2021.

The establishment of an International Day of Plant Health is one of the many effective ways to continue promoting healthy plants within the international agenda, advocating for greater engagement by all stakeholders. The IDPH would mark the success of the IYPH and strengthen IYPH key messages and achievements. FAO Director-General stated he was proud of the successful achievement of IYPH objectives, despite the difficult circumstances:

“FAO will continue […] to advance the legacies of the International Year of Plant Health, in support of achieving better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life – leaving no one behind. Plant health,” he concluded, “is fundamental […] for life.”

The IDPH would contribute to the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031, as well as provide steady input to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The International Day of Plant Health recognizes the considerable importance that governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector place on the topic. The process to establish the International Day of Plant Health has seen great enthusiasm and engagement from all parties involved. The FAO Committee on Agriculture, the Council and Conference endorsed the proposal made by the government of Zambia unanimously, and the IPPC Secretariat is prepared to lead the way towards renewed and ongoing engagement on plant health issues to enhance global food security and increase sustainable agricultural production, protect forests and the environment, and facilitate safe trade development and economic growth.

The International Day of Plant Health, a legacy of the IYPH championed by Zambia, shows how African leadership in promoting plant health can help transform agri-food systems and eliminate hunger and malnutrition. 

Elsa Simões,
Deputy Permanent Representative to
FAO, IFAD and WFP, Cabo Verde