IPPC ePhyto Solution

HUB

A system to facilitate the exchange of ePhytos between National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs)

Access to Admin Console:

PRODUCTION UAT

The HUB is a centralized system to facilitate exchange of ePhytos between NPPOs with a set of prescribed rules of connection and defined structure/codes/terms for the XML message.

Business Rules

Use of the Hub is voluntary
The Hub is a single, multilateral system
The Hub will be available 24/7 (secure and monitored)
No information (messages, transactions) should be lost
There is a single exchange protocol
The IPPC determines the version of UN/CEFACT schema
Participating countries will require a National System to exchange ePhyto through the Hub or use the Generic system

Standards

Authentication of systems that contact the hub through X.509 certificates
Sender identity verified through X.509 certificates
Single Web Services Description Language (WSDL)
UN/CEFACT schema v12B
Exchange protocol is Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) over HTTPS
Retrieving messages from the hub will be through a push or pull method

Pre-Requisites

For a country to participate in the Hub it is mandatory to have the capacity to produce electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos). Countries having their own national system that produces ePhytos but not exchanging electronic certificates with other countries or countries that are already undertaking point-to-point exchanges can participate in the Hub.
The national system needs to have at least the following functionality:

Enter phytosanitary certificate data electronically
Produce phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos and/or paper)
Send ePhytos
Store of electronic phytosanitary certificate data
Receive ePhytos
Decrypt ePhytos
Validate the structure of the ePhyto message
Read/view/print/produce pdf of ePhytos

Guide to Joining

Step One: Get prepared

For a country to participate in the Hub, it must have a system capable of producing electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos).

To ensure correct preparation to connect to the hub, we recommend for the country representatives to read all relevant documents concerning Technical Information. The participation of the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) is validated by the Official IPPC Contact Point of the Contracting Party. Prior to Step Two, the representative of the NPPO intending to register for the hub should contact the Official Contact Point to alert them that they will be receiving an automated message from the Hub requiring them to confirm the registration.

N.B: Should you require official confirmation of participation, please write to the IPPC (ippc@fao.org) and we will be happy to provide an official letter.

Step Two: Registration

A representative of the NPPO should initiate registration by clicking on the following link; and selecting the ‘Register NPPO’ tab.

Upon completing the registration steps and once the Official IPPC Contact Point validates the registration, the representative will receive a registration confirmation email. Should s/he not receive such an email we advise that you reach out to the IPPC ( ippc@fao.org) for further guidance.

This representative will be the contact person for the IPPC and UNICC for technical issues on the Hub and will be responsible for the hub account. S/he will be the initial system administrator and will grant access to others in the organization

Step Three: Onboarding

Once registration has been confirmed, the NPPO representative will receive all relevant on-boarding documents such as the onboarding guide and the web service Application Programming Interface (API) document. These documents will guide the registrant and her/his team in implementing the hub. It outlines clearly the next steps and the type of assistance that will be made available.

If you wish to download this guide Click Here