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Sixth
Session of the Contact Group for the Revision of the International
Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources (IU)
The
Sixth Inter-sessional Contact Group Meeting on the Revision of
the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture (IU), in harmony with the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD), was held in Spoleto, Italy, from 23-28 April
2001. Ninety-six participants from 37 countries, one regional
economic integration organization, and intergovernmental, non-
governmental and industry organizations attended the meeting.
Delegates discussed a range of outstanding items on the basis
of a Chair's Simplified Text, including Articles 11 (Coverage
of the MS), 12 (Facilitated Access), 13 (Benefit-sharing), 14
(Global Plan of Action), 15 (Ex Situ Collections of the International
Agricultural Research Centres of the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research and Other International Institutions), 16
(International Plant Genetic Resources Networks), 17 (Global Information
System on PGRFA) and 18 (Financial Resources). Additionally, three
technical groups were convened to consider definitions, legal
matters and the list of crops.
The
debates generally revisited those held during previous Contact
Group meetings, and delegates often expressed frustration at being
unable to move beyond entrenched positions. Despite the Contact
Group's inability to compromise on these issues, the principles
underlying the various positions were clarified, which many saw
as an essential step in moving the process forward. One of the
major accomplishments at this meeting was the agreement in a technical
group on a list of 30 crop genera to be covered under the IU,
with 17 more pending. The Contact Group agreed to hold an Extraordinary
Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(CGRFA) to conclude the negotiations from 24- 30 June 2001, at
FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
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