EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 25 DFID was key in making sure the COMESA Member States were committed. This was demonstrated in the COMSHIP Mutual Accountability Framework (COMMAF) meetings. The involve- ment of seed stakeholders and the participatory approach in the alignment of the national seed laws to the COMESA Seed System was critical. It is necessary to create awareness of the COMESA Variety Catalogue to seed companies to allow more seed companies register their best varieties on the COMESA variety catalogue. Moreover, it is important to use COMESA high-level officials in making the seven COMESA Member States remaining com- mitted to aligning their national seed laws / regulations to the COMESA Seed System. FOCUS OF COMSHIP 2019-2023 The focus of COMESA Seed Harmonization Implementation Plan in the next four years (2019 – 2023) is to support full domesti- cation of the COMESA Seed Trade Harmonisation Regulations in all 21 COMESA Member States. Other areas of focus will be: • To support the private seed companies in registering their seed on the COMESA Variety Catalogue and engage them on the utilisation of the COMESA Seed Labels and Certificates with the view of expanding to include SADC and EAC; • To support an on-line electronic seed certification system for National Seed Authorities to enable seed companies to regis- ter seed for production, certification and listing of the National Catalogue, thereby linking them to the COMESA Variety Catalogue ensuring automatic national variety listings; • To convene a seed company’s platform facilitated by the National Seed Trade Associations (NSTAs) and address con- straints of production and trading on COMESA Seed, ACTESA / COMESA sensitize the benefits of the COMESA Seed System to enable more seed companies register regional varieties on the COMESA Variety Catalogue and identifying trading routes of seed companies and streamlining solutions to trading under Tripartite FTA Seed Trade Platform (TFTA); • To support accreditation of COMESA Member States to the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties (UPOV); • To train private seed sector in self-certification of the 12 COMESA trade-led crops and audit of the system; • Support establishment of COMESA “border-less” plant health inspections within bilateral agreements through inten- sive training of the customs staff and seed companies on the harmonised seed documentations; • Development COMSHIP outreach and media strategy to enhance overall awareness of accomplished interventions and support of COMESA seed demonstration plots for seed compa- nies with varieties on the COMESA Variety Catalogues; COMESA seed testing training Lack of quality and improved seed in the African COMESA countries has contributed significantly to food insecurity and poverty.