International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

SPECIAL EVENT ON GENOMICS INFORMATION

Saturday, 28 October 2017 - 10:00 to 13:00 hrs.

Kigali Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda

Room MH3

The technological change induced by synthetic biology enables the manufacturing, manipulation and use of genomic information in digitized forms. The International Treaty addresses access and benefit-sharing for physical material. The International Treaty Secretariat has commissioned a scoping study by a multi-disciplinary team of independent researchers, with backgrounds in science and technology, law and social sciences. The scoping study is intended to represent an initial step towards gaining a better understanding of how new technological trajectories might affect the International Treaty. The study is available at this link.

The methodology, findings and analysis of the scoping study will be presented at this special event, which precedes the Seventh Session of the International Treaty’s Governing Body. The event aims to inform the International Treaty community about current and emerging technologies as well as practices related to the exchange and use of genomic information, which may be relevant for the key principles and structural dimensions of the International Treaty and its Multilateral System in particular. The programme of the event, which includes invited speakers and a panel discussion, is designed to elicit the views of researchers from relevant disciplines as well as of representatives of organizations and countries, on areas that may warrant additional investigation.

 

List of Presentations

Study objectives, structure and methodology (Eric Welch, Arizona State University; Selim Louafi, CIRAD )

Technological issues (Todd Kuiken, North Carolina State University )

Legal dimensions (Margo Bagley, Emory University )

Opportunities for benefit-sharing (Welch)

The contributions of digital sequence information to conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing: views from CGIAR (Dave Ellis, CIP)

“Material” progress on sequence information: priorities for civil society (Edward Hammond, TWN)

Considerations for the International Treaty: access and benefit-sharing (Welch, Louafi)

 

 

AGENDA

(10:00—10:30)
Introduction

Welcome address (Attaher Maiga, FAO Country Representative to Rwanda)
Introduction to the event: objectives and expectations (Kent Nnadozie, Secretary a.i., ITPGRFA, FAO)
On-going relevant processes under the Convention on Biological Diversity (Kathryn Garforth, CBD Secretariat)
On-going relevant processes under the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Irene Hoffmann, CGRFA, FAO )

(10:30—12:15)
Genomic information: technological and institutional dimensions

Part I: The scoping study: potential implications of synthetic biology and genomic research trajectories

  • Study objectives, structure and methodology (Eric Welch, Arizona State University; Selim Louafi, CIRAD )
  • Technological issues (Todd Kuiken, North Carolina State University )
  • Legal dimensions (Margo Bagley, Emory University, recorded )
  • Opportunities for benefit-sharing (Welch)

11:15—11:30 Coffee break

Part II. Additional contributions and perspectives

  • The contributions of digital sequence information to conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing: views from CGIAR (Dave Ellis, CIP)
  • “Material” progress on sequence information: priorities for civil society (Edward Hammond, TWN)

Part III. Key findings from the study

  • Considerations for the International Treaty: access and benefit-sharing (Welch, Louafi)

Questions and answers

(12:15—12:45)
Round table: bridging policy and practice

Topics:

  • Ownership, openness, and sharing practices: the specific characteristics of/differences in exchange and use patterns between data and material
  • Assigning value to data and the specific types of benefits primarily associated with digital sequence information within the International Treaty
  • Governance: key considerations for the management of rights associated with digi-tal sequence information within the International Treaty

Facilitator: Charles Lawson (Griffith University)
Panel members: Visser, Pierre Du Plessis, Paul Olson, Carolina Roa, Ramona Duminicioiu

(12:45—13:00)
Conclusions

Areas for further research

Download the Programme

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