FAO and the Government of India organized the International Conference on Wheat Stem Rust Ug99 - A Threat to Food Security in New Delhi from 6 to 8 November 2008 to raise awareness on the current status of Ug99 and wheat rust threats and promote global knowledge sharing. The conference was attended by over 170 participants from 33 countries. Major participating organizations included FAO, ICAR, CIMMYT, ICARDA, CSIRO and ACIAR (Australia), Cornell University, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. FAO sponsored the participation of over 60 delegates representing policy makers from the national plant protection, agricultural research and extension units and seed sectors from 30 countries.
The conference concluded with recommendations, a road map and a declaration approved by all participants, pledging to work together on capacity building, surveillance and monitoring, sharing of knowledge and technologies, and contingency planning. Another declaration on cooperation was also signed by the Ministers of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) whose meeting in Delhi overlapped with the International Conference on Wheat Stem Rust Ug99.