» ITPGRFA GB 6
6th Session of the Governing Body (GB 6) of the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
5-9 October 2015 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters, Rome, Italy
Summary Highlights of the Meeting
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ENB Daily Coverage —About | 3 Oct | 5 Oct | 6 Oct | 7 Oct | 8 Oct | 9 Oct | Summary
Highlights for Saturday, 3 October 2015
A view of Rome from the FAO terrace
On the occasion of the sixth session of the Governing Body (GB 6) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA or Treaty), to be held from 5-9 October 2015, two events were held on Saturday, 3 October: an information event on the outcomes of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) during the biennium; and a special event on farmers' rights under the ITPGRFA, to share experiences and discuss future actions to strengthen implementation.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the 6th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which took place from 5 to 8 October 2015 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Our summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF. Available in ENB Mobile at: http://enb.iisd.mobi/biodiv-itpgrfa-gb6/
Specific funding for coverage of the 6th Session of the Governing Body (GB 6) of
the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has been provided by the ITPGRFA Secretariat
Room view during the first session
Modesto Fernández, Working Group Co-Chair, Cuba
Bert Visser, Working Group Co-Chair, the Netherlands
Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia
Shakeel Bhatti, ITPGRFA Secretary
Antonio Otavio Sá Ricarte, Brazil
Gemedo Dalle Tussie, Ethiopia
Sadar Uddin Siddiqui, Pakistan
Pierre Du Plessis, Namibia
Kailash Chander Bansal, India
César Tapia Bastidas, Ecuador
From L-R: Modesto Fernández, Working Group Co-Chair, Cuba; Bert Visser, Working Group Co-Chair, the Netherlands; Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia; Shakeel Bhatti, ITPGRFA Secretary
Highlights for Monday, 5 October 2015
Alejandro Argumedo, ANDES, Potato Park, Peru
Delegates to the sixth session of the Governing Body (GB 6) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Treaty or ITPGRFA) met in plenary throughout the day, to hear opening and regional statements, consider reports and organizational issues, and discuss the Multilateral System (MLS) and the Funding Strategy. A lunchtime event presented the proposed vision of the Global Information System.
From L-R: Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR Consortium; Ahmed Nasser Al-Bakri, Vice Minister, Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries, Oman; Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia; Shakeel Bhatti, ITPGRFA Secretary; Ren Wang, Assistant Director-General, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, FAO; Alejandro Argumedo, ANDES, Potato Park, Peru; and Michael Keller, Secretary General, International Seed Federation
Paz Benavidez, the Philippines
Donal Coleman, Ireland
Michael Keller, Secretary General, International Seed Federation
Robert Zeigler, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Garlich Von Essen, Secretary General, European Seed Association
Javad Mozafari Hashjin, Iran
Michael Ryan, Australia
Pat Mooney, ETC Group
Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair
Yacoob Mungroo, Mauritius
Ahmed Nasser Al-Bakri, Vice Minister, Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries, Oman
Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR Consortium
Highlights for Tuesday, 6 October 2015
FAO members' flags
Plenary met throughout the day and addressed: the Global Information System; the work programme on sustainable use; farmers' rights; compliance; and cooperation with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Contact groups on the Global Information System and on enhancing the Multilateral System met in the evening.
View of the dais during the morning session
Fadila Al-Salameen, Kuwait
Marie Haga, Executive Director, Global Crop Diversity Trust
Carlos Paz, Argentina
François Pythoud, Co-Chair, Technical Advisory Committee on Sustainable Use, Switzerland
Francisco López, ITPGRFA Secretariat, with Theo Van Hintum, Co-Chair, Expert Consultation on the Global Information System on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Netherlands, and Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia
Mayra Caldera, US
Brad Fraleigh, Canada
Maeen Ali Ahmed, Yemen
Manuel Claros, Venezuela
Angelika Tugaga, Samoa
Jorge Eduardo Salazar, Guatemala
Mario Marino, ITPGRFA Secretariat
Tanmay Joshi, La Via Campesina
Peter Button, International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
Kathryn Garforth, CBD Secretariat
Highlights for Wednesday, 7 October 2015
The "Campana della Pace" in front of the Preamble to the FAO Constitution
A morning plenary considered: cooperation with the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), the CBD and other organizations; issues related to the autonomy of the Treaty within the FAO framework; and the draft multi-year programme of work (MYPOW). A contact group on cooperation with the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Trust) met at lunchtime and in the evening. The contact group on enhancing the Multilateral System (MLS) and on the Funding Strategy met in the afternoon and evening. The contact group on farmers' rights and sustainable use met in the afternoon. An evening plenary addressed compliance, cooperation with other bodies and organizations, and issues related to the autonomy of the Treaty. The budget committee met in the evening.
View of the plenary during the morning session
Theo Van Hintum, Co-Chair of the contact group on the Global Information System
Francisco López, ITPGRFA Secretariat, and Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia
Desterio Nyamongo, Kenya
Hamoud Darwish Salim Al-Hasani, Oman
Dan Leskien, CGRFA Secretariat
Yvette Lakoue, Central African Republic
Clarissa Nina, Brazil
Claudio Chiarolla, WIPO
Juanita Chaves, GFAR
Teshome Hunduma, Development Fund of Norway
Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium
Mir Amanuddin Haidari, Afghanistan
Kent Nnadozie, Álvaro Toledo and Francisco López, ITPGRFA Secretariat
Pierre Du Plessis, Namibia, with Donna Mackay, UK
Delegates from the Near East
Highlights for Thursday, 8 October 2015
Plenary convened in morning, afternoon and evening sessions, to consider revised draft resolutions on the Global Crop Diversity Trust, measures to enhance the Multilateral System (MLS), the Funding Strategy, and the multi-year programme of work (MYPOW), and address administrative matters. Two contact groups addressed the Funding Strategy, and farmers' rights and sustainable use. The budget committee, and a Friends of the Chair group on the MYPOW also met.
Bell Batta Torheim, Norway
Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium, with Elsa Tsioumani, IISD RS
Kailash Chander Bansal, India, with Kent Nnadozie and Daniele Manzella, ITPGRFA Secretariat
From L-R: Bert Visser, the Netherlands, discussing with Matthew Worrell, GB 6 Chair, Australia
The ENB team: Sandra Gagnon, Stefan Jungcurt, Asterios Tsioumanis and Elsa Tsioumani
Highlights for Friday, 9 October 2015
View of the podium during the closing plenary
On Friday afternoon, plenary convened to adopt the report of the meeting and pending resolutions, including on sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), farmers' rights, the Funding Strategy and the Global Information System on PGRFA.
Plenary addressed the work programme and budget as discussed in the budget committee, and adopted it without discussion.
Delegates adopted a resolution on the Secretary of the Treaty, which provides for: extending the appointment of the current Secretary until GB 7 in 2017; requesting the FAO Secretariat to prepare a procedure for renewal of the appointment of the Secretary and a proposal on possible adjustments to the appointment procedure, examining also the matter of maximum term limits for the Secretary, for GB 7 consideration; and including the item in the GB 7 agenda.
Delegates gave standing ovations to bid farewell to Elizabeth Matos (Angola) and Modesto Fernández (Cuba), long-standing ITPGRFA delegates, to recognize their achievements as delegates, Bureau members and meeting Chairs. Matos expressed disappointment about the slow pace of farmers' rights implementation and lack of attention to benefit-sharing. Fernández encouraged delegates to enhance the Treaty to prove that PGRFA can be conserved for future generations.
Italy announced a contribution of ­€1.084 million to the Benefit-sharing Fund, the Treaty's core operations and implementation of the work programme on sustainable use.
Chair Worrell gavelled the meeting to a close at 7:51 pm.
Julian Jackson, UK
Ali Chehade, Lebanon
Ambassador Godfrey Magwenzi, Zimbabwe
François Pythoud, Switzerland
Godfrey Mwila, Zambia
Petra Engel, Italy
Vivencio Mamaril, the Philippines
Elizabeth Matos, Angola, and Modesto Fernández, Cuba, received a standing ovation when their retirement was announced
Around the venue
IISD Reporting Services is grateful to the many donors of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) and recognizes the following as core contributors to the ENB: the European Union, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Japanese Ministry of Environment (through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies - IGES), the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, SWAN International, Government of Switzerland (the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Funding for translation of the Bulletin into French is provided by the Government of France, the Wallonia, Québec, and the International Organization of La Francophonie/Institute for Sustainable Development of La Francophonie (IOF/IFDD).
GB 6 Resources
GB 6 Website
GB 6 Documents
GB 6 Provisional Agenda
ITPGRFA Website
FAO Website
IISD Resources
IISD Reporting Services coverage of the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 12) and 1st Meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (NP COP/MOP 1), 6-17 and 13-17 October 2014, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea
IISD Reporting Services summary and analysis report of ITPGRFA GB 5, 24-28 September 2013, Muscat, Oman (English: HTML or PDF) (French: HTML or PDF)
IISD Reporting Services coverage of ITPGRFA GB4, 14-18 March 2011, Bali, Indonesia
IISD Reporting Services coverage of ITPGRFA GB3, 1-5 June 2009, Tunis, Tunisia
IISD Reporting Services coverage of ITPGRFA GB2, 29 October - 2 November 2007, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy
IISD Reporting Services coverage of ITPGRFA GB1, 12-16 June 2006, Madrid, Spain
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