Welcome to the Discussion Forum on Methods, tools and measures for identification and minimization of risk of e-commerce for the month of June.  I will be acting as the moderator for these discussions. As Pete did for the previous session, I would like to suggest the following sub-topics to get the discussion started but feel free to suggest other threads as needed.

2a) How do we define e-commerce?
2b) Why is e-commerce a challenge for managing invasive alien species?
2c) What are the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders, partners, risk-makers and government organisations involved?
2d) Examples of how jurisdictions have resolved specific e-commerce issues (both positive and negative outcomes) and what tools or measures already in place or under development.
2e) Where are the gaps in legislation, outreach and awareness, data collection and analysis, monitoring and enforcement considering the most effective control points along the entire supply chain continuum?

I look forward to our discussions and working with you all and for a stimulating discussion.

Christine Villegas

Thank you for this message.
We have defined cross-border e-commerce and establish some global standards for tackling associated challenges in the recently adopted WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce. Further work is under progress.
It is available at : http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/frameworks-of-standards/ecommerce.aspx

Kind regards,
Pandey

This framework seems to focus mostly on the customs rather than the sanitary and phytosanitary risks. Would you agree?

In Australia e-commerce has been traditionally managed through the x-raying of mail items. 10 years ago x-raying was applied to 100% of incoming mail. However this is no longer feasible with massive increases in e-commerce the number of parcels increasing at 10% a year (currently 1.6B) with international inbound parcels is growing at move than 40% a year. Recommendations of a recent review have been the following:
1) Biosecurity public awareness campaign re limited financial benefits of selling prohibited commodities, relative to the significant financial penalties
2) Continue engagement with e-commerce industry (agreements already in place with eBay and Amazon) to better manage the biosecurity risks of trading in invasive species
3) Require e-commerce industry to ensure clients know their legal obligations with respect to buying, selling and transporting commodities that represent biosecurity risks 
4) Legislative reforms to ensure effective regulation of traders, consumers and e-commerce platforms with requirements for the provision of information by the e-commerce industry
5) Review effectiveness of a range of software applications for monitoring social media re high risk e-commerce activity
6) Legislate significant penalties for e-commerce platforms that facilitate the advertisement of illegal matter on their sites
7) Develop an Australian standard for the management of biosecurity risks in the e-commerce and retail industries involved in trading commodities with biosecurity risks and ensure regulators have appropriate powers to access information from e-commerce organisations
8) Train specialty investigators to work covertly and collect evidence from the internet and other digital sources so it is admissible in court
9)Invest in RD&E specialty tools to equip regulators and investigators for regulating the e-commerce market
10) Undertake a National review of the sale of live organisms via e-commerce

Thanks Andy for summarizing situation in Australia and providing an outline of recommendations on e-commerce. With such massive influx of parcels, it would be a real challenge to identify potential parcels/senders with associated biosecurity threats. The recommendation 5 suggests a review of effectiveness of different software to monitor high risk activity, I am wondering what are some popular software used in different countries to monitor e-commerce, what is their efficacy? Is there any data available on this? E-commerce is a relatively new phenomenon for developing countries, any experience/lessons learned by developed countries would be valuable for others, to put controls and avert potential biosecurity threats.
Thanks
Asad

Thank you very much Andy for the detailed measures you listed! In Jordan as a developing country i doubt if this e commerce thing has that big contribution in regard to invasive species introduction! However, i have to say i have no idea of anything happening in this regard, we need to check this out, any guidance for this to how to start the inspection! I am sure if there has been anything happening the officers on the borders would have no idea about. Actually, in many cases the regular transport of invasive species is not well controlled so it will be much easier for small parcels to pass with no consent.

In Canada, we started with a small group of high risk plant pests and used different online search engines to find websites that may be offering to sell or trade those species. The findings were documented in a spreadsheet and used to develop the rationale for a more in-depth investigation of this pathway. We are now developing software to do such searches automatically and systematically and collect the data and contact information so that we can target our awareness and determine what changes (if any) to regulations are required.

How effective was the x-ray in detecting invasive pests? Would sniffer dogs at the mail centers be an option to consider?

How successful has Australia been in working with other countries to address non-compliances detected in the e-commerce trade?

Hi Christine

Australia uses sniffer dogs widely however I am not aware that they are used in mail sorting centers. This may be a cost issue. Australia is developing an e-nose technology as a long-term replacement for dogs but it is still in prototype. I am also not aware how well Australia is collaborating with other countries around e-commerce beyond working jointly through SBSSTA and COP meetings on CBD e-commerce activities. If we are working with another country it will be New Zealand most likely but I suggest it is more coordination than collaboration

Andy

Thanks to Andy Sheppard's for his advice. The large-scale growth of e-commerce in the world has provided more convenient conditions for the spread of alien species.China, like most countries, faces the same dilemma.Andy Sheppard's top 10 Suggestions have implications for the prevention and control of invasive species.In addition to some suggestions put forward by Andy Sheppard, it is suggested that countries can jointly establish a sharing platform for biosafety risk publicity and education of alien invasive species, allow e-commerce traders to link to this publicity and education platform, and communicate relevant information to customers synchronously, so as to popularize biosafety knowledge of alien invasive species.

Yaping Hu,Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science

Good day,
South Africa is amongst other countries that identified e-commerce as a growing pathway for introduction of invasive species. The escalating use of internet and e-commerce, to a large extent has been overlooked by policy makers. Rhodes University and other researchers have conducted online and manual surveys to determine the extent of movement of invasive as well as indigenous water submerged plant species in South Africa. For the purpose of this study 64 stores and 23 aquarists were surveyed. Four areas of risk were identified in this study. The study concluded that 1) a variety of invasive and/or prohibited plants are sold by pet stores; 2) there is a lack of knowledge regarding identification as well as regulation of water submerged species, which may then result in the unintentional trade of potentially invasive species. It seems that, in many cases, the pet stores are ignorant or misinformed of the potential dangers, rather than intentionally attempting to breach the legislation; 3) Aquarists own, trade and move plants in and around the country, which makes it very difficult to monitor which species are being moved around South Africa and to what extent. Finally, 4) the internet is a pathway of potential concern, but it is difficult to quantify its contribution to the trade of invasive species in South Africa.
I have attached the study for your ease of reference

Ntaka

IPPC Commision on Phytosanitary Measures Recommendations

Internet trade (e-commerce) in plants and other regulated articles
https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/84232/

According to (Carpio, D. J., 2018), in Mxico, the illegal commercialization of species is sanctioned in article 420 of the Mexican Federal Penal Code (2017). In addition to this, the Mexican Official Standard (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010) lists the endemic species of Mexico in risk categories, according to their distribution and population. Likewise, Mexico is part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which entered into force in 1975, signed by 174 countries (Mexico acceded in 1991), and which regulates the legal traffic of species between the countries.
In spite of this, according to (Garza, 2008), in that year, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, carried out an investigation on the trade of species through Internet at world-wide level, where it appeared Mexico, but due to the scarcity of data on illegal sale on the internet, was not included in the global statistical study. In this sense, the effort of the Mexican public agencies to punish and prevent the illegal traffic of species is insuf fi cient, due to the lack of strategies to confront the problem and the scarcity of data.

According to (Carpio, D. J., 2018), in Mxico, the illegal commercialization of species is sanctioned in article 420 of the Mexican Federal Penal Code (2017). In addition to this, the Mexican Official Standard (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010) lists the endemic species of Mexico in risk categories, according to their distribution and population. Likewise, Mexico is part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which entered into force in 1975, signed by 174 countries (Mexico acceded in 1991), and which regulates the legal traffic of species between the countries.
In spite of this, according to (Garza, 2008), in that year, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, carried out an investigation on the trade of species through Internet at world-wide level, where it appeared Mexico, but due to the scarcity of data on illegal sale on the internet, was not included in the global statistical study. In this sense, the effort of the Mexican public agencies to punish and prevent the illegal traffic of species is insuf fi cient, due to the lack of strategies to confront the problem and the scarcity of data.

Good day,

Enforcement and monitoring can be made easier by introducing positive lists. Many European countries list species in their legislation which are not to be imported, kept or traded (i.e. negative lists). However, the internet provides a platform to trade such a vast range of (potentially invasive) species, that an endless number of species needs to be monitored in e-commerce.
We suggest instead to introduce positive lists, like Belgium has done. Positive lists are lists of species that are allowed to be kept as pets. They are more concise and offer more clarity to enforcers. A positive list should be based on scientific risk assessments, which remain open for review under specific and strict conditions and established unambiguous exceptions. It thus offers a variety of benefits, such as fulfilling the precautionary principle, acknowledging animal welfare, contributing to human and animal health, and environmental conservation and protection. Belgium, for example, has experienced a decline of non-listed species ending up in shelters and rescue centres, and considers enforcement to be more effective this way, without additional administrative costs. The European Court of Justice has also provided its support for the positive list approach.

Best regards

Greetings everyone, and thank you for your thoughtful insights. From the New Zealand perspective, we are looking carefully at the opportunities and risks associated with the rise of E-commerce and its linkages to IAS, and biosecurity in particular.
We know that trade through e-Commerce channels largely captures the same goods and utilizes the same physical distribution pathways as for traditional trade (but in different ways).   Paradoxically, e-Commerce nonetheless represents a significant shift in the way we trade and disrupts the way we do business.  It presents both opportunity and risk. Understanding the impact of this disruption is an important step toward understanding how the tools for our collective management of Invasive Alien Species in an e-Commerce world need to evolve. 
New Zealand is interested in learning from others’ experience in, and approaches to the management of e-Commerce risks or opportunities in the IAS space

It has thrown into sharper relief existing issues including (for example) the dramatic increase in the volume of online and commercial parcels now traded through postal or express freight channels. It was interesting to learn that this volume is so large that it has affected Australia’s ability to x-ray all incoming mail- we know that our neighbours in Australia have a similarly comprehensive biosecurity system to our own, and so when a country with the considerable biosecurity infrastructure of Australia is affected in this way, it shows the extent of the rise in traffic that we are all dealing with.

We have seen E-commerce expose new fault lines such as the emergence of complex global value chains, new business models and the proliferation of the consumers who trade.  It has also highlighted new challenges in terms of understanding the impact of dedicated e–Commerce trading channels, the rise of mega-online platforms, and the emergence new industry-led approaches to traceability and verification for online trade. These present opportunity and risk.

Advances in technology and the way business uses technology presents opportunities for Members to realise improved biosecurity and risk management outcomes, including for IAS.   For example, the availability of data, big data analysis and the use of artificial intelligence could revolutionise our understanding of what goods are traded where and when.  This in turn can be leveraged to remove from or trace high risk items through the supply chain thereby eliminating risk or improving incident response.   How can we access this data flow while also providing appropriate privacy, consumer rights or commercial protections?    
We are also looking at how we can leverage e-Commerce to achieve operational efficiencies and faster clearance times while managing biosecurity risks, including for IAS. Our work to date highlights that e-Commerce risk management strategies will require non-regulatory as well as regulatory solutions.  Examples might include education of consumers on IAS risks or cooperation with online platforms to reduce the volume of risk goods such as seeds before they enter the supply chain.    Work will require dialogue and information sharing based on partnership between government, business and consumers. 
This concept is embedded in New Zealand’s Biosecurity 2025 goal of building a biosecurity team of 4.7 million i.e. every New Zealander.  The 4.7 million programme will develop a specific behaviour change campaign targeting individuals and small businesses who purchase online from offshore websites.

Dear all,

In Brazil, we have considered e-commerce as an important potential pathway for invasive species, especially for pets, aquarium and ornamental plants. Brazil is a continental country and we have plenty of invasive alien species that are also native from some part of the country. In this way, e-commerce is an issue for cross-border and domestic trade.
We have been working on a set of actions to address the IAS risks associated with e-commerce according to the scope of the National Strategy on IAS. We are carrying out an analysis of the legal framework for identifying major gaps related to invasive alien species trade. A major gap already identified is the lack of regulations for ornamental plant sector, especially importation requirements. For animal species, we have applied positive lists to import, keep and trade. The major demand for importation of live animals is ornamental fish. We are working to develop risk analysis to identify priority high-risk invasive species that will help to monitor e-commerce platforms and social media. We are also working in a public awareness campaign about the risks for the environment of buying and keeping wild species as pets.
In Brazil, main e-commerce platforms such as OLX and Mercado Livre monitor live species trade, which contributes to the reduction of illegal activities. These platforms have been collaborating with investigations of possible offenders. There are also negotiations of Agreements between the Environmental Authority (IBAMA) and the e-commerce platforms.
Special investigative operations carried out in Brazil have identified social media as the main platforms for live animal illegal trade. Facebook contributed 97% of the illegal activities. This fact is being explained by the difficulty of identification and prosecution of offenders. The Environmental Authority (IBAMA) has been working in partnership with the US Embassy to get information and prosecute offenders, once Facebook servers are located in the US. It is important to engage social media platforms. They would develop technological tools to monitor and identify live species trade and agree to provide information.
Another point to emphasize is the need to invest in software applications for monitoring e-commerce, especially social media and deep web.

Best regards,
Tatiani

I would like to thank all those who contributed to this discussion on e-commerce, your input is greatly appreciated. Many interesting points were shared and hopefully the conversation on e-commerce will continue as new tools and technology are developed and tested to mitigate the risk from this pathway.

Kind regards
Christine

From: IAS Consultant <saintlucia.ias@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2019 at 10:15
Subject: Re: Discussion Forums - A new message has been posted
To: secretariat@cbd.int <secretariat@cbd.int>

Dear Christine,

Sorry for contributing a bit late, but I was swamped and also had to travel. 

I came across a very insightful horizon scanning for future invasive plants with e-commerce as pathway:
http://www.invasives.org.za/files/36/2015/882/1.%20cobi12579.pdf

and also

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280774833_E-commerce_trade_in_invasive_plants

Not sure if this was flagged by anybody else.

Best wishes,
Ulrike

Dr. Ulrike Krauss
Invasive Species Consultant
P O Box GM1109
Saint Lucia
Tel. (+1 758) 713 4308
Skype: ulrike_krauss
E-Mail: saintlucia.ias@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ulrike-krauss/a3/816/ba8

Apologies for this late contribution on the subject of e-commerce, but I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to provide a quick update on activities that are being undertaken at the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat related to e-commerce.

I am a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plant health officer that is on assignment with the Implementation and Facilitation Unit of the IPPC Secretariat for the next couple years to work on e-commerce, among other projects.

In April 2019, CPM-14 endorsed the draft project work plan and budget that were presented in the paper on e-Commerce (https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/86924/).

In addition, two topics related to e-Commerce were added to the list of topics for IPPC Standards in May 2019:
• 2018-014: Guidelines for Phytosanitary (Risk Management) of International Mail Items, and
• 2018-021: Requirement for phytosanitary certificate on cross-border online-shopping plants, plant products and other regulated articles.

Kind regards,
Barbara Peterson
IFU Unit, IPPC Secretariat

Dear all,

just to complement Barbara's comment, the IPPC has an adopted CPM Recommendation (CPM = Commission on Phytosanitary Measures) on "Internet trade (e-commerce) in plants and other regulated articles" (https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/84232/) - also attached to this post.

As outlined in the text, this IPPC-CPM Recommendation applies to a variety of products ordered and delivered through e-commerce. It
includes plants for planting, other articles such as plants for consumption, soils, growing media, and living organisms that are known or have the potential to be plant pests and are sold to and exchanged by hobbyists, collectors, researchers, etc.

The IPPC has just endorsed a Strategic Framework for 2020-2030 and one of the developmental agendas is related to e-commerce:

"3. Management of E-commerce and Postal and Courier Pathways: A coordinated international effort to address the spread of pests and pest host material sold through e-commence and distributed through postal mail and courier pathways."

Also, some examples of activities to be carried out during 2020 - 2030 could include:
• An international communications effort targeting companies trading through e-commerce channels and consumers to ensure they understand that the importing country may have phytosanitary requirements, why those requirements exist, and how to comply with phytosanitary import requirements.

• Establishment of an inter-agency network (CITES/WCO/IPPC/and other interested agencies) to create synergy in developing a joint policy and recommendations with regard to e-commerce and courier/postal pathways. Joint inter-agency toolkit could also be developed for the regulation and screening of e-commerce and courier/mail pathways.Develop and implement policy/program/mechanism for sharing information on best practices, traders that need more encouragement to follow requirements, etc.

Thank you.
Best regards,

Ms Adriana G. Moreira, PhD.

Standard Setting Officer (Programme Specialist)
Deputy Assistant to Unit Leader
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO/UN)
E-mail / Skype:  adriana.moreira@fao.org
Websites: http://www.fao.org | http://www.ippc.int

Hi everyone

I have prepare a summary of the e-commerce discussion (see attached) which has been added to the draft report by Junko. Please let me know if anything has been mis-represented in the summary.

Kind regards
Christine

Dear Christiane,

Thank you very much for all the hard work in preparing this draft report.
FRom the WCO's perspective, we feel that the statement "the framework seems to focus mostly on the customs aspect rather than the SPS risks" is not correct.

The Tehnication Specifications to the Framework of Standards expressly outlines addressing wider risks (not just Customs risks) that include the SPS risks (defined in consultation with the IPPC) :

• Living organisms, invasive alien species, pests, pathogens and products
derived from animals, plants and fungi that may carry the risk of biological invasions in importing countries;
• CITES plants and animals;
• Agricultural risks (e.g., Phytosanitary);
• Sanitary risks; and
• Hazardous substances (e-waste).

The WCO E-Commerce Package including the Technical Specification can be seen at : http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/instrument-and-tools/frameworks-of-standards/ecommerce.aspx

Thanks again.
Kind regards,
Pandey

Thanks so much for updates, Pandey.

The information on TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS -FRAMEWORK OF STANDARDS ON
CROSS-BORDER E-COMMERCE is accessible at https://www.cbd.int/invasive/forum2/?threadid=1426

Go to 8.1.3 List of Prohibited and Restricted Goods in the document. This document was approved by the WCO Council in June 2019.

Good move forward, WCO team!

Junko

In addition,

The SCBD and the following organizations, IPPC, OIE, WCO and IUCN submitted informal document to the 55th Session of the ECOSOC Sub-committee of the Experts on Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG-Subcommittee) in July 2019. (informal doc is accessible at http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2019/dgac10c3/UN-SCETDG-55-INF46e.pdf).

The TDG-subcommittee noted, as follows.

Environmentally hazardous articles (living organisms)

47. The Sub-Committee noted the request from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to explore the inclusion of environmentally hazardous living organisms into chapter 2.9, class 9 to prevent the introduction of invasive alien species. It was recommended to resume consideration of this subject at the forthcoming session. Experts on biological invasions were invited to join that session and to provide more
detailed information on possible risk and hazards.

The report is accessible at http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2019/dgac10c3/ST-SG-AC.10-C.3-110e.pdf

This is a new process, in response to decision 14/11, to develop a globally harmonized measure to address the pathways related to transport.

Best,
Junko

Dear all,

Draft synthesis is currently underway with all moderators.

In this process, I found some confusion among the participants on the concept of "pathway".

Following up some of the sessions on e-commerce, please be informed:

In paragraph 6(d) of decision XII/17 CBD COP called upon Parties to use the pathway categories presented in UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/19/1/Add/1
https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/sbstta/sbstta-18/official/sbstta-18-09-add1-en.pdf.

Taking into account the decision text, above, please consider that the upstream transaction via Internet does not change the pathways of moving alien species, please consider that e-commerce is NOT a new pathway under the discussion of the CBD's Online Forum.

I hope this explains the position of the synthesis. Which is coming to your mail box, hopefully soon.

Many thanks for your understanding, and patience, too.
Junko