On 3rd day of ITPGRFA, GB9 holds deliberations on three most significant issues of Plant Treaty

On 3rd day of the 9th Session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), GB9 held deliberations on following most significant issues of Plant Treaty.

1. India pushes for focus on communities, farmer-conservers and women as “Guardians of Crop Diversity”.

The GB9 finalized a resolution on “Celebrating the Guardians of Crop Diversity” to recognize the role of communities, farmer-conservers and women as “Guardians of Crop Diversity” in conservation and continued availability of crop diversity.

2. India assumes leadership role to steer consultation on enhancement of MLS

The GB-9 established a ‘Contact Group’ to guide a draft process for re-starting the negotiations which broke down during the GB-8 on package of measures to enhance the functioning of the MLS of Plant Treaty. Delegates of GB-9 held the first informal meeting of the Contact Group to take the agenda forward in the plenary discussion.

3. India draws attention of GB-9 to funding status of ICRISAT

ICRISAT is not part of ‘one-CGIAR’ but continues to be a CGAIR Genebank as defined by Article 15 of the Treaty. India demanded that GB-9 deliberate on the issue of continued funding of ICRISAT Genebank.

4. India demands deliberations on Digital Sequence Information in Plant Treaty independent of CBD

Under Agenda 17 for consideration of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) discussed in the GB9 (Ninth Governing Body) Meeting, India endorsed the need for continuation of technical deliberations to provide clarity of definition, scope, jurisdiction, nature of implementation and access and benefit sharing mechanisms for fulfilling the objectives of ITPGRFA.

DSI has been a difficult issue to resolve in all international fora. Since ITPGRFA deliberations are relatively ahead in content and practical in nature, India argued that DSI issue should be resolved without compromising on the discussions on multilateral system enhancement.

India further reiterated that ITPGRFA should not wait for Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to resolve DSI issue, since ITPGRFA deliberations are relatively ahead in content, delineated in scope and easy to implement.

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