10/07/2014

The 29th of June 2014 marks the 10th Anniversary of the entry-into-force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). A special celebration will be held at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, on 3 July 2014 to mark this milestone, which will take place at 14.30 hours in Room XXI of the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) at Palais des Nations, 8-11 Avenue de la Paix.

This high-level event, co-organized by the International Treaty and the FAO Office in Geneva under the patronage of the High-Level Task Force of the Treaty, will be attended by eminent representatives, international institutions, members of the High-Level Task Force and other dignitaries.

"The Treaty has accomplished a lot in the last 10 years and is now entering its next phase,” said Dr Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. “We are very pleased with all that has been accomplished in this short time, and are even more excited about the contributions the Treaty can make in the future."

The 10th Anniversary celebration in Geneva will focus on the Treaty’s role in assisting low-income food-deficient countries and provide a preview of future plans, with a particular emphasis on innovative new technologies for food security, agricultural biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation.

The vital role of plant genetic resources in ensuring global food security and the success of the Treaty’s system of Access and Benefit-Sharing will be illustrated through the currently on-going 3rd round of benefit-sharing under the Treaty’s Benefit-Sharing Fund (BSF). Recent progress with regard to non-monetary benefit-sharing will be demonstrated by the development of the Treaty’s Global Information System on plant genetic resources, including a new initiative on seeds and genomics called "DivSeek". A roundtable discussion on future perspectives will address future challenges and opportunities.