PLANT PROTECTION AGREEMENT FOR THE SOUTH EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC 

REGION

Rome, 27 February 1956

   The Contracting Governments, desiring to prevent, through concerted action, 

the introduction into and spread within the South East Asia and Pacific Region 

of destructive plant diseases and pests, have concluded the following 

Agreement, which is a supplementary agreement under Article III of the 

International Plant Protection Convention of 1951:

Article I

DEFINITIONS

In this Agreement and in the appendices hereto, the following terms shall have 

the meaning hereby assigned to them, save as otherwise provided:

a) The South East Asia and Pacific Region, hereinafter called "The Region," 

comprises the territories in South East Asia east of the western border of 

Pakistan and south of the Himalayas, the southern border of China and the 

northern border of the Philippines, and all those territories in the Pacific 

Ocean, the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean situated wholly or partly in 

the area bounded by longitudes 100 deg East and 165 deg West and latitudes 15 

deg North and 20 deg South, but excluding Australia;

b) "plant" or "plants" means all species of plants or parts thereof, whether 

living or dead (including stems, branches, tubers, bulbs, corms, stocks, 

budwood, cuttings, layers, slips, suckers, roots, leaves. flowers, fruits, 

seeds and any other parts of plants);

c) "territory" means a State or Territory within the Region defined in (a) 

above;

d) "the Organization" means the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

United Nations.

e) "the Committee" means the Plant Protection Committee for the South East 

Asia and Pacific Region established in pursuance of Article II of this 

Agreement.

Article II

REGIONAL COMMITTEE

1. The Contracting Governments hereby establish a regional committee, to be 

known as the Plant Protection Committee for the South East Asia and Pacific 

Region, whose functions shall include:

a) the determination of procedures and arrangements necessary for the 

implementation of this Agreement and the making of recommendations to the 

Contracting Governments accordingly;

b) the review of reports submitted by the Contracting Governments of progress 

in the implementation of this Agreement;

c) the consideration of problems requiring co-operation on a regional basis 

and of measures for mutual assistance.

2. Each Contracting Government shall be represented on the Committee and shall 

have one vote. A majority of the Contracting Governments shall constitute a 

quorum. Decisions of the Committee shall be taken by a majority of the votes 

cast except as otherwise provided in this Agreement.

3. The Committee shall meet whenever convened by the Director-General of the 

Organization after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee. The 

Director-General of the Organization shall convene the committee at least once 

every two years or when so requested by at least one third of the Contracting 

Governments.

4. The Committee shall elect from amongst the delegates a Chairman who shall 

serve for a period of two years or until the first session of the Committee 

held after the expiration of the period of two years. The Chairman shall be 

eligible for re-election.

5. Expenses incurred by delegates of Contracting Governments in attending 

sessions of the Committee shall be determined and paid by their respective 

Governments. The Director-General of the Organization shall appoint and 

provide the secretariat of the Committee from the staff of the Organization 

who shall serve only during sessions of the Committee. The expenses of the 

secretariat of the Committee shall be determined and paid by the Organization.

6. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure .

Article  III

MEASURES REGARDING THE IMPORTATION OF PLANTS FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION

    For the purpose of preventing the introduction into its territory or 

territories of destructive diseases and pests, and in particular those listed 

in Appendix A to this Agreement, each Contracting Government shall use its 

best endeavours to apply with respect to the importation of any plants, 

including their packings and containers, and any packings and containers of 

plant origin, from anywhere outside the Region, such measures of prohibition, 

certification, inspection, disinfection, disinfestation, quarantine, 

destruction or other measures as may be recommended by the Committee, taking 

into consideration the provisions of Articles V and VI of the International 

Plant Protection Convention.

    Appendix A to this Agreement may be modified by a decision of the 

Committee.

Article IV

MEASURES TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AMERICAN LEAF BLIGHT OF HEAVA FROM THE REGION

    In view of the importance of the Hevea rubber industry in the Region, and 

of the danger of introducing the destructive South American leaf blight 

(Dothidella ulei) of the Hevea rubber tree, the Contracting Governments shall 

take the measures specified in Appendix B to this Agreement. Appendix B to 

this agreement may be modified by a decision of the Committee taken 

unanimously.

Article V

MEASURES REGARDING MOVEMENT OF PLANTS WITHIN THE REGION

    For the purpose of preventing the spread within the Region of 

destructive diseases and pests, each Contracting Government shall use its best 

endeavours to apply, with respect to the importation into its territory of any 

plants, including packings and containers, and any packings and containers of 

plant origin, from another territory within the Region, such measures or 

prohibition certification, inspection, disinfection, disinfestation, 

quarantine, destruction or other measures as may be recommended by the 

Committee, in addition to measures already adopted by each Contracting 

Government.

Article VI

GENERAL EXEMPTION

    This Agreement shall not apply to the following plants and plant 

products except insofar as any such plants or plant products are explicitly 

made subject to specific measures of control provided in this Agreement or 

recommended by the Committee:

a) any plants imported for food or for analytical, medicinal or manufacturing 

purposes;

b) all seeds of annual, or biennial field crops or vegetables, and all seeds 

or cut flowers of annual, biennial or perennial ornamental plants which are 

essentially herbaceous in character; and

c) any processed plant products.

Article VII

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

    If there be any dispute regarding the interpretation or implementation 

of this Agreement, or regarding action taken by any Contracting Government 

under this Agreement, and such dispute cannot be resolved by the Committee, 

the Government or Governments concerned may request the Director-General of 

the Organization to appoint a committee of experts to consider such dispute.

Article VIII

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS NOT PARTIES TO THE 

INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION CONVENTION

    Nothing in the International Plant Protection Convention shall affect 

the rights and obligations of Contracting Governments which are not parties to 

the Convention.

Article IX

AMENDMENT

1. Any proposal by a Contracting Government for the amendment of this 

Agreement, except Appendices A and B, shall be communicated, through the 

Committee, to the Director-General of the Organization.

2. Any proposed amendment of this Agreement received by the Director-General 

of the Organization shall be presented to a session of the Council of the 

Organization for approval.

3. Notice of any proposed amendment of this Agreement shall be transmitted to 

the Contracting Governments by the Director-General of the Organization not 

later than the time when the agenda of the session of the Council at which the 

matter is to be considered is despatched.

4. Any such amendment of this Agreement approved by the Council of the 

Organization, shall come into force with respect to all Contracting 

Governments as from the thirtieth day after acceptance by two-thirds of the 

Contracting Governments. Amendments involving new obligations for Contracting 

Governments, however, shall come into force in respect of each Contracting 

Government only on acceptance by it and as from the thirtieth day after such 

acceptance.

5. The instruments of acceptance of amendment shall be deposited with the 

Director-General of the Organization. The effective date of acceptance shall 

be the date of such deposit. The Director-General of the Organization shall 

inform all Contracting Governments of the receipt of acceptances and the entry 

into force of amendments.

Article X

SIGNATURE AND ADHERENCE

1. The Government of any State situated in the Region, or any Government which 

is responsible for the international relations of a territory or territories 

in the Region, may become a party to this Agreement, by either

a) signature; or

b) signature subject to ratification followed by such ratification; or

c) adherence.

Governments may not subject their signature, ratification or adherence to any 

reservation. 

2. This Agreement, the text of which was approved by the Council of the 

Organization on 26 November 1955, shall be open for signature until 30 June 

1956 or until the date of its entry into force in conformity with the 

provisions of Article XI, paragraph I, whichever date is the later. The 

Director-General of the Organization shall immediately inform all signatory 

Governments of the signature of this Agreement by any other Government. 

Ratification shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of ratification 

with the Director-General of the Organization and shall become effective as 

from the date of deposit.

3. This Agreement shall be open for adherence as from I July 1965 or from the 

date of its entry into force in conformity with the provisions of Article XI, 

paragraph I, whichever date is the later. Adherence shall be effected by the 

deposit of an instrument of adherence with the Director-General of the 

Organization and shall become effective as from the date of deposit.

4. The Director-General of the Organization shall immediately inform all 

signatory and adhering Governments of the deposit of an instrument of 

ratification or of adherence.

Article XI

ENTRY INTO FORCE

1. This Agreement shall come into force as soon as three Governments have 

become parties to it either by signature, or by signature subject to 

ratification followed by such ratification.

2. The Director-General of the Organization shall notify all signatory 

Governments of the date of entry into force of this Agreement.

Article XII

DENUNCIATION AND TERMINATION

1. Any Contracting Government may, at any time after the expiration of one 

year from the date on which it became a party to the Agreement, or from the 

date on which the Agreement entered into force, whichever is the later, 

denounce this Agreement by notification addressed to the Director-General of 

the Organization who shall at once inform all signatory and adhering 

Governments of the denunciation.

2. The denunciation shall take effect one year from the date of receipt of the 

notification by the Director-General of the Organization.

3. This Agreement shall automatically be terminated should the parties to it 

become fewer than three as the result of denunciations.

APPENDIX A

DESTRUCTIVE PESTS AND DISEASES NOT YET ESTABLISHED IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIA AND 

PACIFIC REGION

CACAO (Theobroma cacao)

Sahlbergella singularis Hagl.

Distantiella theobroma Dist.

Marasmius perniciosus Stahel

Monilia roreri Cif.

Trachysphaera fructigena

Tabor and Bunting

Virus

Virus diseases

CITRUS (Citrus spp.)

Anastrepha spp.,es. A. Iudens

(Loew.)

Deuterophoma tracheiphila

Petri

COCONUT (Cocos nucifera)

Pachymerus nucleorum (F).

Theraptus sp.

Aphelencoides cocophilus

(Cobb.) Goodey

COFFEE (Coffea spp.)

Antestia spp.

Leucoptera caffeella (Guer.)

Planococcus henyae

(Le Pelley)

Omphalia flavida Maubl and Rangel

Trachysphaera fructigena

Tabor and Bunting

COTTON (Gossypium spp.)

Anthonomous grandis Boh.

Anthonomus spp.

Diparopsis  spp.

Phymatotrichum omnivorum

(Shear) Duggar

Virus

RUBBER (Hevea brasiliensis)

Dothidella ulei P. Henn

Pellicularia filamentosa (Pat.)

Rogers

Capsid

Capsid

Witches broom

Monilia pod rot

Trachysphaera pot rot

Swollen shoot

Mexican fruit fly

Mal Secco

(A Bruchid)

(A Coreid)

Red Ring disease

A Pentatomid bug

White coffee leat miner

A mealy bug

American leaf spot

Trachsyphaera fruit rot

Mexican cotton boll worm

Boll worms

Red boll worms

Texas root rot

Leaf curl

South American leaf blight

Target leaf spot

Known Distribution

West Africa, Belgian Congo

West Africa, Belgian Congo

West Indies, South America

South America

West Africa

Trinidad

Central America

Mediterranean region

New World

East Africa, Zanzibar

West Indies

Africa

New World, Africa

East and West Africa

Mexico, U.S.A., West Indies.

Central and South America

Africa

West Indies, Mexico, Central

America, Venezuela, U.S.A.

New World

Africa

Mexico, U.S.A.

Africa

Mexico, Central America,

Trinidad, South America

Central and South America

MAIZE (Zea mays)

Diatraea spp.

Puccinia polysora Underw.

OIL PALM (Elaeis guineensis)

Pachymerus lacerdae (Chevr.)

Pachymerus nucleorum ( F. )

Pimelephila ghesquierii Tams.

Fusarium oxysporum

POTATO (Solanum tuberosum)

Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say

Corynebacterium sepedonicum

RICE (Oryza sativa)

Diatraea spp.

Mormidea spp., esp. M. poecila

Dall

Virus

SUGAR CANE (Saccharum spp.)

Diatraea spp., esp. D. saccharalis (F.)

Dermolepida spp. Clemora smithi (Arr.)

SWEET POTATO (Ipomaea batatas)

Virus

Stalk borers

Polysora rust

(A Bruchid)

(A Bruchid)

(A Pyralid)

Fusarium Wilt

Colorado beetle

Bacterial ring rot

Stem or stalk borers

Pentatomid bugs

Rice dwarf

Stalk borers

White cane grubs

A white cane grub

Internal Cork

Southern U.S.A., Mexico

West Indies, Central America,

South America

Africa, Mexico, U.S.A.,

Central America, West Indies

South America

Nigeria

New World

West Africa

West Africa

New World, Europe

New World, Europe

Southern U.S.A., Mexico

West Indies, Central America,

South America

Central America, South

America

Japan

Southern U.S.A., Mexico,

West Indies, Central America.

South America

Queensland

Mauritius

U.S.A.

(This list is tentative and subject to revision by the Regional Committee.)

APPENDIX B

MEASURES TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AMERICAN LEAF BLIGHT OF HEVEA FROM THE REGION

1. In this Appendix:

a) "the American tropics" means those parts of the continent of America, 

including adjacent islands, which are bounded by the Tropic of Capricorn 

(latitude 23 1/2 deg S) and the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23 1/2 deg N) and 

the meridians of longitude 30 deg W and 120 deg W, and includes the part of 

Mexico north of the Tropic of Cancer: 

b) "Competent Authority" means the officer or Government Department or other 

agency, which each Contracting Government recognizes as its authority, for the 

purpose of this Appendix.

2. Each Contracting Government shall prohibit by law the importation into its 

territory or territories of any plant or plants of the genus Hevea from 

outside the Region, unless:

a) the importation is made for scientific purposes, and

b) written permission has been granted for each consignment of plant or plants 

by the Competent Authority of the importing territory or territories and the 

importation is in accordance with such special conditions as may be imposed by 

the Competent Authority in granting such permission, and

c) the plant or plants have been disinfected and freed of any original soil in 

the country of origin in a manner acceptable to the Competent Authority of the 

importing territory and are free from pests and diseases, and each consignment 

of plant or plants is accompanied or covered by a certificate to the effect 

that the above requirements have been fulfilled, and signed by an appropriate 

authority in the country of origin; and

d) each consignment is addressed to and is received by the Competent Authority 

of the importing territory.

3. Each Contracting Government shall prohibit by law the importation into its 

territory or territories of any plant or plants of the genus Hevea capable of 

further growth or propagation (excluding seed) from the American tropics or 

from any other country in which South American leaf blight (Dothidella ulei) 

is present, unless, in addition to the requirements of paragraph 2 of this 

Appendix, at a place approved by the Competent Authority of the importing 

territory and situated outside the Region and outside the American tropics and 

any other country in which South American leaf blight (Dothidella ulei) is 

present such plant or plants have been grown for an adequate period at a plant 

quarantine station for Hevea and each consignment of such plant or plants is 

accompanied or covered by a certificate to the effect that the above 

requirements have been fulfilled, and signed by the officer-in-charge of such 

quarantine station.

4. Each Contracting Government shall prohibit by law the importation into its 

territory or territories of any seed of any plant of the genus Hevea from the 

American tropics or from any other country in which South American leaf blight 

(Dothidella ulei) is present, unless, in addition to the requirements of 

paragraph 2 of this Appendix, such seed, having been examined and again 

disinfected at a place approved by the Competent Authority of the importing 

territory and situated outside the Region and outside the American tropics and 

any other country in which South American leaf blight (Dothidella ulei) is 

present, has been repacked with new packing materials in new containers, and 

unless each consignment of such seed is accompanied or covered by a 

certificate to the effect that the above requirements have been fulfilled, and 

signed by the officer-in-charge of these operations.

5. Each Contracting Government shall prohibit by law the importation into its 

territory or territories of any plant or plants of the genus Hevea not capable 

of further growth or propagation (such as fresh or dried herbarium specimens), 

unless in addition to the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) of 

paragraph 2 of this Appendix, the Competent Authority of the importing country 

is satisfied that such plant or plants are required for a legitimate special 

purpose and that such plant or plants have been sterilized in the country of 

origin by a method satisfactory to the said Competent Authority.

6. Each Contracting Government shall prohibit by law the importation into its 

territory or territories of any plant or plants, other than the genus Hevea. 

capable of further growth or propagation and originating in the American 

tropics or in any other country in which South American leaf blight 

(Dothidella ulei) is present unless consignment of such plant or plants by the 

Competent Authority of the importing territory or territories and the 

importation is in accordance with such special conditions as may be imposed by 

the Competent Authority in granting such permission .

7. The Competent Authority of any territory or territories into which any 

plant or plants of the genus Hevea are imported for further growth or 

propagation shall ensure that such plant or plants are grown under control for 

such period as will ensure that such plant or plants are free from all pests 

and diseases before they are released.

    In Witness Whereof the undersigned, duly authorized to that effect, have 

signed this Agreement on behalf of their respective Governments on the dates 

appearing opposite their signatures.

    Done at Rome on the twenty-seventh day of February one thousand nine 

hundred and fifty-six in two copies in the English, French and Spanish 

languages, which languages shall be equally authoritative. The text of this 

Agreement shall be authenticated by the Chairman of the Council of the 

Organization and the Director-General of the Organization. After expiry of the 

period during which the Agreement is open for signature, in accordance with 

Article X, paragraph 2, one copy of the Agreement shall be deposited with the 

Secretary-General of the United Nations and the other in the archives of the 

Organization Additional copies of this text shall be certified by the 

Director-General of the Organization and furnished to all Governments parties 

to the Agreement, with the indication of the date on which it has come into 

force.