|
Tuesday, 4 September
|
|
Opening Ceremony
|
Doris Leuthard, Federal Councilor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Switzerland, urged delegates to adopt the Global Plan of Action and Interlaken Declaration to reflect a commitment to structured management of AnGR for food security and sustainable development.
|
Alexander Müller, Assistant Director-General, Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, FAO, said AnGR are particularly important for livelihoods in developing countries, and that at least one livestock breed has become extinct each month over the past seven years.
|
Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), noted that parties to the CBD recognize AnGR as essential for food security and both rural and urban communities.
|
|
Left: André Nietlisbach, Secretary General, Direction of Economic Affairs, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, welcomed participants to Interlaken and the region.
Right: Urs Graf, Mayor of Interlaken, welcomed participants to his city and wished delegates a successful outcome.
|
|
|
Presentation of The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources
|
Irene Hoffmann, Chief of FAO's Animal Production Service, launched The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
|
ICARDA's Barbara Rischkowsky (formerly FAO) outlined the content of the report.
|
Conference Chair Manfred Bötsch rang a large bell to signal the end of the morning session.
|
|
Press Conference
|
Jacques Chavaz, Assistant Director, Federal Office for Agriculture, Doris Leuthard, Federal Councilor, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, and Alexander Müller, Assistant Director-General, Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, FAO, during a noon press conference.
|
|
Global Plan of Action for AnGR
|
Hussein Ibrahim Abu Eissa, Sudan, speaking for the Near East region, called for financial support and capacity building for characterization, compiling inventories and monitoring the region's breeds.
|
Daniel K.N. Semambo, Uganda, for Africa, highlighted livestock keepers' rights and capacity building at the national level for in situ and ex situ conservation programmes.
|
Jaime Durango Flores, Ecuador, speaking for Latin America and the Caribbean, called for increased financial resources to implement the Global Plan.
|
Paul Trushell, Australia, for the South-West Pacific, said that intellectual property rights are best discussed in forums that deal specifically with those issues, such as WIPO.
|
India, speaking for Asia, suggested that the Global Plan include a clear explanation of what it aims to achieve.
|
The US, for North America, called for the Global Plan to define specific priorities and actions, based on scientific and technical analysis.
|
Poland, for the European Regional Group, called for further cooperation with other treaty organizations to better define traditional rights of livestock keepers.
|
Fadila Al-Salameen, Kuwait, for the G-77/China, said a mechanism on implementation and financing of the Global Plan was imperative.
|
Utinia Anruti, Kiribati, commented during the ensuing discussion.
|
|
Around the Conference |
A well-attended evening side event featured a dialogue involving a panel of government and NGO experts.
|
Councilor Doris Leuthard chatted with a local food vendor during a lunchtime reception.
|
ENB's Harry Jonas talked with Nchunu Justice Sama, Cameroon, during a break.
|
A Swissaid administrative staffer hastily created nametags for the evening event.
|
