Rome, 10 September – The European Regional Consultation for the review of the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GPA) started today in virtual mode and will continue until 12 September.  The meeting was opened by Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General, Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia, who underlined the importance of addressing gaps and priorities in plant genetic resource management, noting that governments in the region consider it an issue of priority for them. 

The meeting is co-organised by the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division, and the Secretariats of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). 

In his opening remarks, Mr Dan Leskien, Senior Liaison Officer of the CGRFA, reiterated that the focal points of both the Commission and the Treaty have been called to work together to undertake this important review and elaborated some of the key policy developments since the Second Plan was adopted in 2007. 

In his welcome remarks, Mr Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the ITPGRFA, stated that “the importance of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) cannot be overstated. It serves as a cornerstone for the Treaty's work on conservation and sustainable use (Articles 5 and 6), informing the Benefit-sharing Fund's programmatic approach and supports the national reporting under the compliance mechanism. The GPA acts as a crucial supporting component under Article 14 of the Treaty.” 

The Tenth Session of the Governing Body, held in 2023, emphasized the importance of the Second GPA. During the Session, Contracting Parties were invited to collaborate with the Commission in preparing The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to facilitate the updating of the Second GPA. Both Secretariats are collaborating to finalize the Third Report and update the Second GPA through regional consultations aimed at identifying gaps, needs, and priorities.  

At the opening, the organizers provided a summary of the contributions of countries to the Third Report of the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, with specific information about the contribution of European countries.  In Europe, 29 countries contributed data on their national genebank  holdings conserved in long-term conditions, data used for the reporting under the indicator SDG 2.5.1a. 

The outcomes and contributions of this three-day consultation will be considered by the 12th Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in December 2024, and the CGRFA will consider a revised GPA at its 20th Regular Session in March 2025. 

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