FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea Dr. Vincent Martin: We Would Like to Invite and Encourage China Consider Joining ITPGRFA - “Conservation and Benefit Sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Focusing on Agricultural Biodiversi
08/03/2019
After careful preparation, on March 4th, the Seminar themed on “Conservation and Benefit Sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Focusing on Agricultural Biodiversity After 2020” co-organized by CBCGDF and Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS) was finally successfully held in Beijing. Attendees at home and abroad include officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, heads of relevant departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, heads from CBCGDF and BAAFS, as well as representatives from scientific research institutions and universities such as Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), Beijing Forestry University, China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, etc.
Everyone gathered together to promote China’s conservation and benefit sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, promote China’s agro-ecological security and biodiversity conservation, and effectively participate in global environmental governance. At the same time, attendees from various fields also made suggestions on the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15), which will be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China in late 2020. To this end, it is planned to hold a special meeting this summer to discuss the issues related to hosting side events on agriculture and biodiversity conservation during the CBD COP15.
Among the FAO officials attending the meeting, including FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea Dr. Vincent Martin. In the opening speech, he first expressed his appreciation briefly in Chinese, followed by a brief introduction about the functions of FAO. He also elaborated the status quo of FAO’s contact with China, and the FAO’s International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in an incision way. He ended his speech with the expression that in terms of China’s development and status as a big country, China is welcome to join the International Treaty.