04/05/2013

Geneva, Switzerland – Ministers, experts and other participants at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) acknowledged the key role played by The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in the fight against hunger and poverty during a high-level panel discussion held in Geneva today.

The high-level panel discussion, which was co-hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Permanent Representation of Ecuador to Geneva, under the auspices of the ECOSOC, focused on Promoting Technology Transfer for Food Security and included the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of Oman, the Minister of Agriculture of Indonesia, the Secretary-General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Associate Vice President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 

Speakers from various sectors of society discussed the importance of technology transfer for food security, rural development, and agricultural research. In particular, they spoke of the gains that could be achieved worldwide through better preservation of genetic diversity in crops, which is essential to combat the challenges of climate change, drought, and new plant pests and diseases.

The Treaty establishes a global development partnership to access and use the world’s agricultural crop gene pool, and is pivotal in preserving the world’s plant genetic material. The Benefit-sharing Fund has also been implemented at local, national and international levels since 2008.

“ All of us depend on genetic crop diversity from other countries and regions,” said Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the International Treaty. “No country is self-sufficient in plant genetic resources. International cooperation and facilitated exchange of genetic resources are, therefore, essential for food security.” Among the mechanisms developed under the Treaty is a Platform for the Co-Development and Transfer of Technologies, set up by countries in response to requests from the Governing Body. This Platform comprises both public and private organizations with technical expertise from various regions of the world, ready to share international expertise within the Treaty’s non-monetary benefit-sharing mechanisms. In his video address, Mr Haryono, Director-General of the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD), referred to the Platform as “a dynamic initiative by a group of action-oriented technical and policy institutions.”

Dr Carlos Seré, Associate Vice President at the Strategy and Knowledge Management Department of the IFAD, spoke of the need to achieve “biodiversity-smart sustainable agriculture.” He highlighted the importance of working together, and said, “We see the International Treaty as a potent international policy instrument in any attempt to fight poverty and hunger on a sustainable basis.”

H.E. Suswono, Minister of Agriculture for Indonesia spoke via a video message of the outcomes of the recently concluded High-Level Round Table meeting in Bandung. He said “The time has come to fully develop and extend both (the Treaty’s) access and benefit-sharing provisions in a balanced package around which the Parties of the Treaty can reach an agreement.” He went on to elaborate on the package and said, “The package will need to include an enhancement of the benefit-sharing mechanism through innovative approaches in order to reach the funding targets, and the expansion of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-Sharing to include substantially more crops through appropriate innovative mechanisms.”

“ The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is an important international agreement that holds the potential to improve food security by promoting the conservation of plant genetic material and the sustainable use of crop diversity worldwide,” said Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD in his video address to the participants of the Treaty Side Event at ECOSOC. “The sharing of information, the transfer of technology, capacity-building, increased investment in agriculture, and strengthened international cooperation are all important aspects of the International Treaty. I believe they all represent elements of a comprehensive solution to achieving food security.”

H.E. Dr Fuad bin Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Sultanate of Oman, said, “Priority must be given to the implementation of agreed plans and programs for farmers in developing countries who conserve and sustainably utilize plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.” He added, “The Treaty’s Governing Body, in all its sessions, has called for Contracting Parties and other relevant stakeholders to explore innovative ways to realize effective technology transfer.”

The Government of the Sultanate of Oman will be hosting the Fifth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty in Oman from 24 to 28 September 2013, and a Ministerial Conference on 21 September during which participants will address these issues, as well as others, particularly the interlinked challenges of water scarcity, drought, food security and climate change.