May 8, 1995
Preparations for Plant Genetic Resources Action Plan
Officials from the ministries of agriculture, foreign affairs
and the environment of approximately 150 countries will
gather for a major conference on plant genetic resources in
Leipzig, Germany. The June 1996 intergovernmental conference,
convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
will include both technical and policy components and will
focus on domesticated plants used as food, fuel, fiber and
medicine. It will be the largest and perhaps most significant
meeting concerning biodiversity since the Earth Summit in
1992. NGOs have an important role to play in preparations for
the conference, which has been designed as part of the
implementation of the Earth Summit's Agenda 21 sections
dealing with plant genetic resources (PGR).
The conference will consider two major documents for
adoption:
1. First Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic
Resources -- a critical assessment of the status of PGR
worldwide as well as the institutional capabilities to care
for and develop these resources.
2. Global Plan of Action -- a combination of recommended
programs, priorities and projects to conserve and develop
plant genetic resources. The plan is envisioned as a major
component of FAO's contribution to implementation of the
Convention on Biological Diversity, and will address means of
providing concrete benefits to developing countries for their
genetic resources.
FAO and its member countries have agreed upon an unusually
open process for development of both documents. The
International Conference and Programme for Plant Genetic
Resources (ICPPGR) has been established to coordinate
preparations for the conference including activities at the
country level (preparation of reports assessing national
situations), subregional meetings, collaboration with a wide
range of scientific institutions, and international computer
bulletin boards (see below). The primary aim of the ICPPGR
process is to develop a range of funded and action-oriented
initiatives and agreements which will generate both consensus
and commitment for the 1996 conference.
The ICPPGR is now actively encouraging participation of NGOs
and farmers' organizations in each step of the conference and
document preparation process. In addition, governments have
been asked to involve all segments of the genetic resources
community, including NGOs, in preparation of country reports.
Subregional meetings open to NGOs will be organized to review
these reports and to discuss particular problems and
opportunities in the subregion as well as its input into the
global plan of action.
Historically, NGOs were the first to popularize concerns over
plant genetic resources. From the late 1970s onwards, NGOs
have had a major influence over the agenda of discussions in
the UN system concerning biological diversity. NGOs have been
instrumental in broadening the debate beyond purely
conservationist concerns to include questions of ownership,
equity, control and sharing of benefits.
Source: "Go Between" #49, Dec. 1994-Jan. 1995; PGR, March
1995.
Contact: ICPPGR, FAO, AGP Division, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 1-00100 Rome, Italy; phone (39-6) 5225 5871; fax
(39-6) 5225 5533; email ICPPGR@fao.org.
*International Conference and Programme for Plant Genetic
Resources (ICPPGR) Bulletin Board Network (BBN).* The purpose
of this electronic bulletin board is to facilitate the
participation of all interested organizations and individuals
to participate in the preparatory process to organize the
Fourth International Conference on Plant Genetic Resources.
The bulletin board initially includes five conferences and a
newsletter:
- In-Situ Conservation/Crop Improvement
- Ex-Situ Collections
- Genetic Diversity
- Plant Breeding/Improvement
- Regeneration
- Training/Education
To receive more information about the BBN, including specific
information about each conference:
1) send an email message to MAILSERV@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
2) leave the subject line blank
3) at the beginning of the first line in the body of your mail,
type:
get icppgr-info.txt
You will receive an information notice with details about
connecting to the BBN. For general information about the
ICPPGR BBN, contact: samy.gaiji@fao.org.
===========================================================
| PANNA | for standard information |
| Phone:(415) 541-9140 | about PANNA send a short |
| Fax:(415) 541-9253 | email message to |
| email: panna@econet.apc.org | panna-info@econet.apc.org |
| gopher: gopher.econet.apc.org| |
| ___ |
| To subscribe to PANUPS send email to MAJORDOMO@igc.apc.org|
| with the following text on one line: subscribe panups |
| To unsubscibe send the following: unsubscribe panups |
===========================================================