21/02/2022

New Training Material Available

04 February 2022, Rome, Italy – The Secretariat of the International Treaty on PGRFA is pleased to announce the publication of its latest Educational Module. This fourth module focuses on the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing, and has been designed to support the implementation of the International Treaty and contribute to the international regime on access and benefit-sharing, as well as the global efforts for the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity.

“I would like to reiterate, with appreciation, that the successful implementation of the Multilateral System has been possible thanks to the commitment, dedication and continued efforts of all Contracting Parties and I hope this module will further support the understanding of its functioning and its implementation,” said Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty.

“This module marks the culmination of a decade of experience in improving the understanding and implementation of this legal instrument,” he added.

 The module comprises four sections, and provides an overview of the legal and historical perspectives that led to the development of the Multilateral System and the list of crops in Annex I of the International Treaty, and illustrates the core concepts and articles of Section IV of the Treaty.

The first two lessons are aimed at newcomers to the International Treaty and the Multilateral System. Lessons three and four contain practical elements particularly useful for those involved in the exchange of plant genetic material and in the implementation of the Multilateral System at the national level. All lessons provide an extensive list of resources and references for further reading and learning.

 The Multilateral System is currently the largest and most systematic global mechanism to ensure regular and facilitated access to plant genetic resources by farmers, breeders and researchers. It has progressively become a trusted and growing global institution with a genepool of over 2.2 million accessions of plant genetic material for food security and sustainable agriculture.

Plant breeders and scientists supporting farmers use the genetic resources from the Multilateral System to meet various global challenges related to climate change, pests, plant diseases, biodiversity loss and the need to provide healthy and nutritious food to an ever-growing population. National and international genebanks, including the significant collections of the CGIAR, are at the core of the Multilateral System, as they conserve and distribute genetic material across the world under the policy guidance of the International Treaty’s Governing Body.

The Governing Body adopted the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) in 2006. Since then, more than 6.1 million accessions have been transferred globally with this contract and reported to the Governing Body. Since 2011, providers and recipients have benefitted from the use of Easy-SMTA, the digital system that helps users to prepare SMTAs and to report to the Governing Body.

Since the Multilateral System became operational in 2007, the Secretariat of the International Treaty has been providing support, direct training and capacity building to users through a dedicated helpdesk in collaboration with partner organizations, particularly the CGIAR Centres and a number of national institutions.

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