The Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture will be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 6-8 July 2016.

The Session is being convened under the Regular Programme of the Organization. Simultaneous translations in Arabic, English, French and Spanish will be available.
The Working Group was established by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at its Seventh Session in May 1997, in line with Conference Resolution 3/95. The Fifteenth Regular Session of the Commission in January 2015 decided that the Working Group should meet prior to the next Regular Session of the Commission to review:

• progress made and action taken to implement the Global Plan of Action, including the Funding Strategy;
• and possible update of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources; and
• the nature of ecosystem services provided by livestock species and breeds.

The Commission also requested the Working Group to explore:

• access and benefit-sharing issues for its subsector;
• the Commission’s Multi-Year Programme Programme of Work.

The members of the Working Group and their Alternates, as elected by the Fifteenth Session of the Commission, are as follows:

• Africa: Algeria, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, First Alternate: Burkina Faso, Second Alternate: Zimbabwe
• Asia: Bhutan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea,First Alternate: Thailand, Second Alternate: China
• Europe: France, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland, First Alternate: Sweden, Second Alternate: Russian Federation
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Uruguay, First Alternate: Cuba Second Alternate: Costa Rica
• Near East: Islamic Republic of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, First Alternate: Egypt, Second Alternate: Jordan
• North America: Canada, United States of America
• Southwest Pacific: Cook Islands, Fiji, First Alternate: Vanuatu, Second Alternate: Samoa

According to the Statutes of the Working Group, Alternates replace, in the order in which they appear on the above list, any Member who has resigned and informed the Secretariat accordingly. Members of the Commission that are not members of the Working Group may participate, upon request to the Commission Secretariat, in the work of the Working Group as observers. The Working Group, or the Bureau on behalf of the Working Group, may invite experts, as well as representatives of specialized international organizations, to attend its meetings as observers.

A website has been set-up for this session. Documents will be uploaded when they become available. Please check regularly by clicking here.