Annex 1. New and emerging issues, key concepts & focus discussed in Sessions of the FAO Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources 1968-2001^[2]

1968 (1st Session)

Focus on:

• Coordination of efforts, identification of priority species for international attention.
• Provenance collections, international species/provenance trials.
• Seed collection and handling guidelines.

1969 (2nd Session)

Focus on:

• Tropical tree species.
• Conservation in situ, ex situ.
• National seed certification schemes.
• Need for technical manuals and guides, equipment notes.

Panel noted that, all priority-1 species, listed in 1^st Session of Panel in 1968, were expected to have been collected by the end of 1971.

1974 (3rd Session)

Focus on:

• Transfer of technologies and know-how.
• Monographs on individual species.

Panel noted that:

- Global Programme on Forest Genetic Resources had been developed and published, with a view to increasing support and efficiency and better coordinate action.

- FAO Forest Genetic Resources Newsbulletin started (1972); “Methodology of conservation” published (1975).

- Professional position in forest genetic resources created in FAO.

- In 1974, Committees had been set up in each Australian State to advice on needs and methods of conservation of forest genetic resources.

1977 (4th Session)

Focus on:

• Environmental benefits of forests.
• Training, capacity building.

Panel noted that, the Australian Forestry Council had appointed a sub-committee to prepare a statement on the status and methods of conservation of forest genetic resources.

1981 (5th Session)

Focus on:

• Social benefits of forests: food, fodder and energy.
• Policy level awareness.
• Incorporation of conservation in productive forest management.
• Ex situ conservation stands.

1985 (6th Session)

Focus on:

• Role of forests in environmental stabilization and improvement.
• Production of a range of forest goods and services compatible with conservation.
• Incorporation of conservation in forest and protected area management, and in tree breeding strategies.

Panel noted that, priority species for attention covered 70 pages in the Report on the Session.

1989 (7th Session)

Focus on:

• Contribution of forests to sustainable development.
• Role of forests and woodlands in the conservation of other species of plants and animals.
• Active gene management.
• New biotechnologies.

1993 (8th Session)

Focus on:

• Environmental values of forests.
• Problems of deforestation, landscape fragmentation.
• Conservation and ethics.
• Need for partnerships, twinning, networking.
• Access and benefit sharing.
• Biotechnologies as supportive tools.
• Computer-based systems for information storage, retrieval and analysis.

Panel noted that:

- FAO International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources had been adopted and ratified.

- The Convention on Biological Diversity had been adopted and ratified

- The REFORGEN global information system on forest genetic resources was under development.

1995 (9th Session)

Focus on:

• Emergence of the criterion of biological diversity in sustainable forest management: defining, measuring, conserving, monitoring diversity.
• Problem of pollution of native genepools.
• Widespread institutional turmoil, and the need for consistency in funding and effort.
• Safe movement of forest reproductive materials.

Panel noted that, the International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.- “The Leipzig Conference on Plant genetic resources”- had been held.

1997 (10th Session)

Focus on:

• Role of forests in food security.
• Need for coordination between sectors and among increasing number of actors.
• Decentralization, privatisation, institutional and macro-economic shifts.
• Innovative mechanisms for collaboration and funding support; national forest programmes.

Panel noted that, the 13^th Session of COFO had recommended that FAO support regional forest genetic resources workshops and the development of regional/sub-regional action programmes.

1999 (11th Session)

Focus on:

• Need for strengthened partnerships with governments and national institutions, international, regional and bilateral organizations, NGOs, the private sector, communities.
• Sustainable resource use; compatibility conservation, use and genetic management.
• Importance of traditional methodologies as basis for advanced techniques.

2001 (12th Session)

Focus on:

• Work and complementarity of action with Conventions on biological diversity, climate change, desertification.
• Biological diversity, biotechnology, biosafety and bioprotection.
• Need for harmonization of concepts and terms.
• Role of fire, drought and other adverse environmental factors in breeding.
• Need for facilitation of exchange of reproductive materials on mutually agreed terms
• Role of trees grown outside the forest, agroforestry; desertification control, CO2 capture.
• Need to adaptat conventional and new genetic technologies to local species.
• Need to bridge increasing gap between science and practice.

The Panel noted that:

- The International Treaty on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture had been approved in FAO Conference November 2001.

- An CBD Work Programme on Forest Biological Diversity had been approved by the 6^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.