Under the overall supervision of the Director, Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP), and the technical guidance of the Senior Officer (EMPRES Plant Health), the incumbent will provide technical and policy assistance in management, control, and emergency prevention systems for transboundary plant diseases. In particular, the incumbent will:
Identify, in close collaboration with technical officers in the decentralised offices, regional and sub-regional priorities to mitigate food security threats caused by transboundary plant diseases;
Assess, in consultation with the CMC Intelligence and Communication Unit and other relevant stakeholders, the risk of development and spread of epidemics of plant diseases under different climatic and geographical conditions and the potential impacts on food security;
Cooperate with relevant FAO units and other partners in raising funds in support of emergency prevention programmes to mitigate the risk of transboundary plant diseases;
Prepare, coordinate and backstop projects to strengthen the early detection and rapid response capacities of effected countries/regions for emergency prevention;
Coordinate with national authorities, national and international research institutions, including plant breeders, seed sector and farmers, activities for the development of sustainable, environmentally safe and cost-effective plant-disease management strategies;
Advise relevant stakeholders on the situation and developments of most significant transboundary plant diseases; prepare and publish periodical newsletters;
Participate, in close collaboration with the Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division (TCE), in contingency planning and implementation of emergency operations in countries at risk of or affected by transboundary plant diseases;
Cooperate with national stakeholders and FAO field offices in developing information networks and monitoring systems, identify relevant information providers and establish partnerships with relevant international organizations and research entities;
Supervise in collaboration with relevant institutions the development of GIS-based decision support systems for tracking plant-disease spread;
Participate in the development and design of capacity building and training programmes for various target groups in transboundary plant-disease identification, reporting and management;
Plan, organize and participate in meetings, conferences, and seminars dealing with transboundary plant-disease issues and emergency prevention systems;
Perform any other related duties as required.