International code of conduct on pesticide management: guidance on the monitoring and observance of implementation of the code of conduct
Overview
Intention of this document is to facilitate and encourage monitoring and reporting on observance and implementation of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management. It is derived directly from Article 12 of the Code of Conduct, which states provisions for all stakeholders involved in pesticide management, and provides an approach for monitoring fulfilment of the shared responsibilities of parties under the Code. The guidance is therefore designed for use primarily by governments, the pesticide industry and non-governmental organizations but may also be useful to other relevant entities in monitoring and reporting important aspects of pesticide management.
After a review of the main objectives and benefits of monitoring and reporting on the Code (section 2), the document identifies areas to be monitored (section 3), including priorities in pest and pesticide management. It then clarifies the roles of all stakeholders (section 4) in monitoring and reporting, including those of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and provides practical advice on the information to be collected (section 5). Step-wise procedures for reporting and follow-up are described in section 6. Reporting forms for both regular and ad hoc monitoring are provided in two annexes.
Objective of this guidance on fulfilling the reporting requirements of Article 12 of the Code of Conduct is to obtain a regular flow of information on its observance to strengthen implementation of the Code, to provide data for its future revisions and improvement, and, most importantly, to improve the protection of human health and the environment related to pesticide use and management in agriculture and public health.
