ENB:09:65
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1996 INTERSESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE: In 1983 the FAO established an intergovernmental Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and adopted a non-binding International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, which is intended to promote harmonized international efforts to create incentives to conserve and sustainably use PGRFA. Since the inception of the CBD, the FAO has begun to revise the International Undertaking. Subsequent revisions have emphasized national sovereignty over PGRFA, in line with Article 15 (sovereignty over genetic resources) of the CBD.
The Fourth International Technical Conference on PGRFA met in Leipzig, Germany from 17-23 June 1996. Representatives of 148 States adopted the Leipzig Declaration, the Conference’s key political statement, and a Global Plan of Action (GPA), an international programme for the conservation and utilization of PGRFA. Contentious issues included financing and implementing the GPA, technology transfer, Farmers’ Rights and access and benefit-sharing. Delegates were also presented with the first comprehensive Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources.
BIOSAFETY: Article 19.4 of the CBD provides for Parties to consider the need for and modalities of a protocol on biosafety. At COP-2, delegates established an Open- ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety (BSWG), which held its first meeting in Aarhus, Denmark, from 22-26 July 1996. It was attended by more than 90 delegations, including scientific and technical experts representing both Parties and non-Parties to the CBD, inter- governmental organizations, NGOs and industry representatives.
BSWG-1 marked the first formal meeting to develop a protocol under the CBD and to operationalize one of its key and most contentious components. Governments listed elements for a future protocol, agreed to hold two meetings in 1997 and outlined the information required to guide their future work.
SBSTTA-2: The second session of the SBSTTA took place from 2-6 September 1996 in Montreal, Canada. The crowded agenda included complex technical issues such as the monitoring and assessment of biodiversity, practical approaches to taxonomy, economic valuation of biodiversity, access to genetic resources, agricultural biodiversity, terrestrial biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity, biosafety and the CHM. Many Parties sent scientific and technical experts to the meeting, which was also attended by observers from non-Parties, NGOs, indigenous peoples’ organizations, industry groups and scientific organizations.
Chair Peter Johan Schei cautioned delegates against turning the SBSTTA into a “mini- COP,” but the issue of the identity and role of the SBSTTA in managing the scientific content continued to occupy many participants at the conclusion of the meeting. Some issues, including economic valuation and taxonomy, were covered in technical detail. The primary outcome of SBSTTA, however, seemed to be a desire to reform the process. Delegates’ suggestions included setting limits to the agenda and increasing the involvement of scientific organizations. Some privately called for more focused background documents presenting specific options or proposals, presentations of case studies, and delegations with greater technical expertise.
REGIONAL MEETINGS: In preparation for COP-3, four regional preparatory meetings were held in September and October 1996. The Central and Eastern European (CEE) Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Bratislava, Slovakia. The African Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles). The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Castries, Saint Lucia. The Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Each of these meetings helped delegates to prepare for the COP and enabled them to draft recommendations to put forward at COP-3.