January 1997
COAG/97/8
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January 1997 |
COAG/97/8 |
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Item 8 of the Provisional Agenda
1. Following the decision of the Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Conference to broaden the mandate of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources in a step-by-step manner, beginning with Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), the Conference requested the Director-General to establish an Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources (the Ad Hoc Group) to prepare the future work of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources (ITWG-AnGR) of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). The Ad Hoc Group was to report to the Director General, who would bring its recommendations, as appropriate, to the attention of the Fourteenth Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) (Rome, 7-11 April 1997) and subsequently to the CGRFA at its Seventh Session (15-23 May 1997).
2. At the request of the Conference, the One-hundred-and-tenth Session of Council prepared interim terms of reference and statutes for the CGRFA and its Intergovernmental Technical Sectoral Working Groups (Resolution CL 1/110). The Third Extraordinary Session of the CGRFA (9-13 December 1996) discussed arrangements for the Commission's Seventh Regular Session. In view of the heavy agenda for this Session, the Commission recommended that the outcome of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources "be considered in detail by COAG, so as to facilitate the work of the Commission".
3. The Ad Hoc Group met in Rome, 7-9 January 1997. The Report of the meeting is attached as Annex 1.
4. Following consideration of a number of meeting reports and documents specifically prepared for the Ad Hoc Group meeting, the Ad Hoc Group made a number of recommendations. In particular, the attention of COAG is drawn to paragraph 7, on the Global Strategy for Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources, and paragraph 17, on the proposed timing of meetings.
5. Recommendations requiring the attention of COAG are:
(i) The Ad Hoc Group strongly recommended to the Director-General that the Seventh Session of the CGRFA establish an ITWG-AnGR. In this context, the Ad Hoc Group also noted that the Third Extraordinary Session of the CGRFA, in view of the need to continue the negotiations for the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant GeneticResources, had requested that COAG consider these matters in detail with a view to facilitating the work of the Commission. The Ad Hoc Group noted that the Third Conference of the Parties (COP-3) to the Convention on Biological Diversity had decided to establish a work programme on agricultural biodiversity. The Ad Hoc Group believed that the expeditious establishment of the ITWG-AnGR would best serve effective collaboration of the Organization and its Members, and intergovernmental activities in these fields. (Para. 16 of the Report)
(ii) The Ad Hoc Group considered the possible timing for the establishment of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group, and the consideration of AnGR matters by the full Commission. It recognized that, were the Seventh Session of the CGRFA (15-23 May 1997) to decide to establish the ITWG-AnGR and elect its Chairperson and Members, substantive work on AnGR would be brought to the attention of the CGRFA for the first time in 1999. Given the need for effective consideration of the Global Strategy by the CGRFA in 1997, the Ad Hoc Group recommended that the ITWG-AnGR meet twice before 1999, and that the first meeting should take place as soon as possible. (Para. 17 of the Report)
(iii) The Ad Hoc Group proposed an agenda for the First Session of the ITWG-AnGR. (Para. 19 and Appendix 3 of the Report)
(iv) The Ad Hoc Group recommended that the Secretariat continue to develop mechanisms for cooperative follow-up on COP-3, and, within that framework, especially as it relates to AnGR and the Global Strategy. The Ad Hoc Group recommended that FAO explore the possibility of becoming an implementing agency for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in view of FAO's involvement in agricultural biodiversity. (Para. 21 of the Report)
6. COAG is invited to consider these recommendations and proposals and to make its own recommendations on them. (Para. 19 of the Report)
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1. Following the decision of the Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Conference to broaden the mandate of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources in a step-by-step manner, beginning with Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), the Conference requested the Director-General to establish an Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources (the Ad Hoc Group) to prepare the future work of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources (ITWG-AnGR) of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). The Ad Hoc Group was to report to the Director-General, who would bring its recommendations, as appropriate, to the attention of the Fourteenth Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) (Rome, 7-11 April 1997) and subsequently to the CGRFA at its Seventh Session (15-23 May 1997).
2. At the request of the Conference, the One-hundred-and-tenth Session of Council prepared interim terms of reference and statutes for the CGRFA which provide for the establishment and set out the purposes of the Intergovernmental Technical Sectoral Working Groups (Resolution CL 1/110).
3. The Ad Hoc Group discussed and agreed Terms of Reference in the light of C 95/REP, paragraph 67. The Ad Hoc Group met in Rome, 7-9 January 1997, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Adel Aboul-Naga. Its members are given in Appendix 1.
4. The Ad Hoc Group noted with concern the continuing loss of AnGR and the impacts of this loss on achieving global food security, and stressed the urgency of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (the Global Strategy) to ensure current and future utilization of AnGR.
5. The Ad Hoc Group appreciated the meeting documents prepared by the Secretariat, and felt that they provided a good basis for the deliberations of the Ad Hoc Group.
6. The Ad Hoc Group:
* reviewed the Global Strategy with a view to identifying possible priorities that governments might wish to consider in its further development, and the associated technical questions that would need to be addressed;
* reviewed the proceedings of the First Session of the Informal Panel of Experts on the Development of the Global Strategy for Animal Genetic Resources (29-31 May 1996) that had been convened by the Director, Animal Production and Health Division (AGA), to advise on possible priorities for the development of the Global Strategy;
* considered the report of the Ad Hoc Meeting of Donors and other Stakeholders in Animal Genetic Resources (2-3 December 1996), noting the wide range of parties - both governmental and non-governmental - involved in the fields of the sustainable utilization and conservation of AnGR;
* considered the wide range of international organizations and agreements potentially relevant to AnGR for Food and Agriculture, including the Rome Declaration of the World Food Summit; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and related activities of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), especially relevant Chapters of Agenda 21; the outcome of the Fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources (the Leipzig Conference); Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS/WTO); and the International Office of Epizootics (OIE);
* stressed the importance of effective AnGR utilization policies to ensure sustainable use of these resources;
* noted that among underlying causes of the loss of AnGR are a lack of management capacity and breed development policies that do not take into full account the diversity of production environments and the value of indigenous breeds; and
* appreciated the work already put into the Global Strategy, and the technical activities of the Secretariat in developing the Global Strategy and preparing it for review by the CGRFA at a later stage.
GLOBAL STRATEGY
7. The Ad Hoc Group noted that the Global Strategy covered a very important and complex set of priority activities in the AnGR field, under the mandate of FAO, and addressed priorities identified by a number of other intergovernmental bodies and processes, in particular CBD. The Ad Hoc Group emphasized that the establishment of the ITWG-AnGR would enable governments to properly review, develop and monitor the Global Strategy and its implementation by the CGRFA.
8. The Ad Hoc Group also noted that the CBD at the Second Conference of the Parties (COP-2) had recognized "the special nature of agricultural biodiversity, its distinctive features and problems needing distinctive solutions;" and that the Third Conference of the Parties (COP-3), by Decision 11 (Paragraph 20):
"Appreciates the importance of the country-based Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and strongly supports its further development".
9. The Ad Hoc Group noted that COP-3, in Paragraph 22 of Decision 11:
"Draws the attention of international funding agencies to the urgent need to support the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity important to agriculture and invites these agencies to provide information and feedback in this respect to the Conference of the Parties and in this context, requests the interim financial mechanism to give priority to supporting efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity important to agriculture in accordance with this decision".
10. The Ad Hoc Group noted Objective 3.2(f) of the Rome Declaration on Food Security, adopted by the World Food Summit (3-17 November 1996), in which the governments of the world affirm that they will "Promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of animal genetic resources".
11. The Ad Hoc Group recognized that FAO had several important responsibilities under Agenda 21 of UNCED, with consequent requirement for mechanisms to facilitate interaction and promote synergy among all sectors of agriculture and between the organizations involved.
12. The Ad Hoc Group agreed that, in accordance with decisions taken at UNCED '92, in particular Agenda 21 and the CBD, the basis for the Global Strategy should be national programmes, plans and activities, and that these should be coordinated, as appropriate, and supported by the Global Strategy. The Ad Hoc Group therefore noted the importance of the Global Strategy and commended its country-based nature, and considered that future development could emphasize a country-driven, participatory process analogous to that employed in the preparatory process of the Leipzig Conference.
13. The Ad Hoc Group stressed the importance of understanding similarities and differences between AnGR and Plant Genetic Resources management approaches, and the need to integrate animal and plant genetic resources policies and programmes where possible into production systems and the environment.
14. The Ad Hoc Group considered that due attention should be given to the need for broad-based analyses - social, cultural, environmental, economic and legal - to allow governments to reach decisions on an informed basis regarding the development and implementation of the Global Strategy.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES
15. The Ad Hoc Group stressed the importance of establishing an intergovernmental mechanism to facilitate and promote better management of AnGR at global, regional and national levels, emphasizing the significance of this management for alleviating poverty and hunger and counteracting continuing erosion of AnGR.
16. The Ad Hoc Group strongly recommended to the Director-General that the Seventh Session of the CGRFA establish an ITWG-AnGR. In this context, the Ad Hoc Group also noted that the ThirdExtraordinary Session of the CGRFA, in view of the need to continue the negotiations for the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, had requested that COAG consider these matters in detail with a view to facilitating the work of the Commission. The Ad Hoc Group also noted that COP-3 had decided to establish a work programme on agricultural biodiversity, and believed that the expeditious establishment of the ITWG-AnGR would best serve effective collaboration of the Organization and its Members, and intergovernmental activities in these fields.
17. The Ad Hoc Group discussed in depth the possible timing for the establishment of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group, and the consideration of AnGR matters by the full Commission. It recognized that, were the Seventh Session of the CGRFA (15-23 May 1997) to take the decision to establish an ITWG-AnGR and elect its Chairperson and Members, AnGR would be brought to the attention of the CGRFA for the first time in 1999. Given the need for effective consideration of the Global Strategy by the CGRFA in 1999, the Ad Hoc Group recommended that the ITWG-AnGR meet twice before 1999, and that the first meeting should take place as soon as possible.
18. The Ad Hoc Group took into account the Statutes of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the Terms of Reference currently under consideration for the Commission's Intergovernmental Technical Working Group. On that basis, the Ad Hoc Group prepared draft Statutes, including Terms of Reference, for the ITWG-AnGR, which are attached as Appendix 2.
19. On the basis of its review of the current status of the Global Strategy and the international situation concerning AnGR, the Ad Hoc Group proposed an agenda for the First Session of the ITWG-AnGR, attached as Appendix 3.
OTHER CONCLUSIONS
20. The Ad Hoc Group reviewed the current status and outlook for AnGR, and made a number of observations for development of the Global Strategy and related technical matters.
21. The Ad Hoc Group recommended that the Secretariat continue to develop mechanisms for cooperative follow-up on COP-3, and, within that framework, especially as it relates to AnGR and the Global Strategy. The Ad Hoc Group recommended that FAO explore the possibility of becoming an implementing agency for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in view of FAO's involvement in agrobiodiversity and the decision of COP-3 to make agrobiodiversity a priority area for the implementation of the CBD.
22. Technical areas recommended as appropriate for consideration and action by the ITWG-AnGR included:
* Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)-related activities, including aspects of benefit-sharing;
* following through on the technical implications of the Rome Declaration and the associated Plan of Action;
* reconciling differences between agricultural sectors;
* the linkages implicit between AnGR and sustainable agriculture for all production systems;
* reconciling productivity gains with diversity maintenance;
* surveying existing farm animal genetic resources, the conditions under which they were being used and preserved, as well as ongoing programmes and activities;
* in situ and ex situ management of AnGR;
* assessing the implications of animal-related patents, and monitoring the application of the TRIPS agreement in this area;
* promoting robust, holistic policies appropriate for sustainable development, as most loss of diversity resulted from policy making, not chance;
* promoting capacity building in management of AnGR;
* stressing that, for AnGR, their value lies in use and development of these resources, and understanding the nature of production environments is therefore critical; and
* promoting multilateral approaches to conservation and use of genetic resources.
23. The technical nature of the ITWG-AnGR was stressed, and the concomitant need to encourage Member Nations, when selecting their delegates to meetings, to identify persons with appropriate specialist expertise, including resource economics, management and logistics.
24. The Ad Hoc Group adopted the report of the meeting.
Appendix 1
ARGENTINA/ ARGENTINE
Sr. Carlos María Correa,
Licenciado en Economía
Monasterio 1138
1636 V.TO López
CANADA
Mr. Richard Laing
Integrated Planning Services
49 Douglas Ridge Green S.E.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2Z 2T2
CHINA/CHINE
Mr. Han Gaoju
Senior Animal Scientist, Vice-Director
Animal Husbandry & Health Department
Ministry of Agriculture
11 Nongzhanguan Nanli
Beijing 100026
EGYPT/EGYPTE/EGIPTO
Mr. A. Aboul-Naga
Agricultural Counsellor
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation
Dokki
FRANCE/FRANCIA
M. Michel Thibier
Directeur général
Centre national d'études vétérinaires et alimentaires (CNEVA)
23, avenue Charles de Gaulle
F-94701 Maisons Alfort cedex
GERMANY/ALLEMAGNE/ALEMANIA
Dr. Wilbert Himmighofen
Ministerialrat
Bundesministerium fur Erneahrung Landwirtschaft und Forsten
Rochusstrasse 1
53123 Bonn
POLAND/POLOGNE/POLONIA
Ms. Elzbieta Martyniuk
Central Animal Breeding Office
Ministry of Agriculture
Brwinow, Warsaw
SENEGAL
M. Abdou FALL
Institut sénégalais de recherche agronomique/Laboratoire national pour l'élevage et la recherche vétérinaire (ISRA/LNERV)
Dakar, Hann
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/ETATS-UNIS D'AMERIQUE/ESTADO UNIDOS DE AMERICA
Mr. R.E. Evenson
Professor
Economic Growth Center
Yale University
27 Hillhouse Ave.
New Haven, Connecticut 06520
FAO Headquarters staff:
Mr. T. Fujita Director, Animal Production and Health Division (AGAD), Agriculture Department
Mr. G. Moore Legal Counsel (LEGD)
Mr. K. Hammond Senior Officer (Animal Genetic Resources Group), Animal Production Service (AGAP), Animal Production and Health Division, Agriculture Department
Mr. H. Wagner Ex situ Conservation, Animal Production Officer (Animal Genetic Resources Group), Animal Production Service (AGAP), Animal Production and Health Division, Agriculture Department
Mr. S. Galal In situ Conservation, Animal Production Officer (Animal Genetic Resources Group), Animal Production Service (AGAP), Animal Production and Health Division, Agriculture Department
Mr. C. Stannard Assistant to the Secretary, Secretariat of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service (AGPS), Plant Production and Protection Division, Agriculture Department
Appendix 2
The Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources (the Working Group) shall advise and assist the Commission in the performance of its mandate in the area of animal genetic resources and shall, in particular:
(a) review the situation and issues related to animal genetic resources and make recommendations to the Commission on these matters, including proposals regarding the programme of work on animal genetic resources of the Commission, and in particular the further development of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources;
(b) consider the progress made in implementing the Commission's programme of work on animal genetic resources and the Global Strategy;
(c) prepare the agenda of meetings of the Commission from the point of view of animal genetic resources;
(d) perform on behalf of the Commission such tasks of a technical nature as may be necessary in the area of animal genetic resources during the inter-sessional periods of the Commission and report thereon to the Commission at its next session;
(e) consider and make recommendations on any other matters referred to it by the Commission.
The Working Group shall be composed of a Chairperson and twenty-three Member Nations from the following regions:
5 from Africa
5 from Europe
4 from Asia
4 from Latin America and the Caribbean
3 from the Near East
1 from North America
1 from Southwest Pacific.
1. The Chairperson of the Working Group shall be elected by the Commission. The Chairperson will remain in office until the next regular session of the Commission and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
2. The election of the Chairperson shall take place before the end of the second day of the Commission's session.
3. The Working Group may elect one or more Vice-Chairpersons from among the representatives of Members of the Working Group. The Vice-Chairpersons shall remain in office until the first session of the Working Group following the next regular session of the Commission and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
4. The Chairperson, or in their absence a Vice-Chairperson, shall preside over the meetings of the Working Group and exercise such other functions as may be required to facilitate its work.
1. The Members of the Working Group shall be elected at the end of each regular session of the Commission and serve until the next regular session of the Commission. They will be eligible for re-election.
2. In appointing their representatives, the Members of the Working Group shall take into account the specific technical nature of the Working Group.
Sessions of the Working Group shall be held at least once a year, and shall, in the year in which a session of the Commission is held, be held prior to the session of the Commission.
1. Members of the Commission which are not Members of the Working Group may participate in the work of the Working Group in an observer capacity.
2. The Working Group may invite experts, as well as representatives of specialized international organizations, to attend its meetings.
Appendix 3
1. Presentation of terms of reference.
2. Decision on number and election of Vice-persons.
3. Report on related ongoing activities of international bodies on animal genetic resources.
4. Consideration of the framework, structure and elements of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources.
5. Preparation of a draft work programme on farm animal genetic resources for the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
6. Other business.