The 18th meeting of the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) was held from 6 to 10 October 2025 at Headquarter of WHO in Geneva, Switzerland. The session brought together experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside regional officers, representatives from intergovernmental organizations including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as well as industry representatives, non-governmental organizations and civil society stakeholders.

The meeting was officially opened by  Mr Raman Velayudhan, WHO JMPM Secretariat and Dr. Maru Aregawi Weldedawit, Head of Unit from WHO. Dr Aregawi welcomed all participants and noted that “WHO is working to address insect resistance in vector management to minimize risks to human health, animal health and the environment.”

In his opening remarks, Dr. Baogen Gu from FAO JMPM Secretariat, echoed these sentiments, stating that “this meeting will discuss global emerging issues and make recommendations to address these concerns on pesticide management for better protection of human health, the environment, nutrition and life, supporting sustainable agrifood systems and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Key outcomes and new guidance

The JMPM, in collaboration with FAO and WHO Task Force, finished a review of gaps in the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management (ICCPM) regarding the Free, Prior and Informed Consents (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples and endorsed the report. The review identified potential gaps in response to a request by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). The report recommends FAO and WHO address these gaps by amending the Code of Conduct.  

Other outputs of the meeting was the publication of four guidance documents, which are  now accessible  on the website:

• Guidance on aerial application of pesticides,
• Guidance on reducing risks during phase out of pesticides,
• Guidance note on illegal trade of pesticides and
• Guidance note on online sales of pesticides. 

The JMPM also outlined a roadmap for future guidance development, recommending the preparation of four new documents on: application of pesticides using drones, registration of minor use pesticides, pesticide resistance monitoring and risk communication.

Additionally, the JMPM agreed to the revision of the Guidelines on a Developing a Reporting System for Health and Environmental Incidents Resulting from Exposure to Pesticides and the Guidelines on Management Options for Empty Pesticide Containers (2008).

The meeting also endorsed two key documents:

• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Development of Guidance on Pesticide Management, and
• Terms of Reference (TOR) for the JMPM—establishing a formal and transparent process for document development, clarifying the roles of panels, consultants, observers and FAO/WHO contributors.

To finalize, the 18th JMPM addressed several emerging global issues, including the use of Annex III of Rotterdam Convention on highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), RNA-based pesticides, nanotechnology applications in pesticide formulation (nanopesticides), and antimicrobial resistance in the plant sector.