 Dear friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I'm very pleased to speak as the recently appointed Secretary of the International Plan Protection Convention, IPPC. The IPPC is an intergovernmental treaty with 184 contracting parties or countries that aims to protect the world's planned resources by preventing the introduction of spread of pests and to facilitate safe trade. The International Standards for Fire Sanitary Measures, ISPMs, are the main tools to achieve this goal. The IPPC is the sole global standard-selling organization for planned health. The Commission on Fire Sanitary Measures, CPM, serves as the convention's governing body while also being an FAO statutory body. The CPM was established in 2005 building on the committee of experts on fire sanitary measures whose first session was held in 1993. So we have been around for some time, but today IPPC is more relevant than ever. And here's why. One, international travel and trade are greater than ever. In the past 50 years, the human population has doubled. The global economy has grown nearly fourfold and global trade has grown tenfold. Increasing movement of plants and plant products. Commodities and people mean an increase of pests and other invasive species that are harmful to plants. Cumulative records of alien species have increased by 40% since 1980. Associated with increased trade and human population dynamics and trends. Two, climate change and its effect on the environment provide new habitats for alien species. Nearly one-fifth of the Earth's surface is at risk of planted animal invasions impacting native species, ecosystem functions and nature's contributions to people as well as economies and human health. The rate of introduction of new invasive alien species seems higher than ever and shows no signs of slowing. However, regulation of the movement of plants and plant products can help to reduce these risks. Ladies and gentlemen, up to 40% of global food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases each year. That equals to trade losses exceeding $220 million in agricultural products annually. And global hunger numbers rose again as many as $828 million in 2021 according to the latest state of food and security report. Hence the importance of the IPPC's mission in protecting global plant resources and facilitating safe trade. The IPPC's vision is that spread of plant pests is minimized and their impacts within countries are effectively managed. The IPPC's overarching goal is that all countries have the capacity to implement harmonized measures to reduce past spread and to minimize the impact of past on food security, trade, economic growth and the environment. This goal is implemented through three main strategic objectives. First, enhance global food security and increase sustainable agriculture productivity. Second, protect the environment from the impacts of plant pests. And third, facilitate safe trade, development and economic growth. Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in unprecedented times. The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded by the impact of climate change and disruption in the food supply chain right on by recent conflicts. Have affected the life of citizens all over the world. Such phenomena have profound consequences in food security and safe trade. As the secretary of the IPPC he can counter me and our commitment to working together with you and other regional and national plant protection organizations to continue protecting the world's plant resources from pests. In this capacity, I confirm my dedication to support the work of the IPPC and its crucial relevance to promoting plant health globally. The IPPC will continue to play a unique role in protecting plants, combating hunger on a global scale, protecting the environment and promoting safe trade.