Farmers

Highlights for Saturday, 26 October 2019 Delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean conferring during a break in negotations On Saturday, the Working Group addressed the Co-Chairs’ compromise proposal on a package of elements, including: benefit-sharing payment rates under the single access and subscription systems; clauses specifying, under both systems, that the benefit-sharing payment obligations reflect the value of information, including genetic sequence data, directly derived from or directly associated with the MLS material in question; and a provision on the implementation and review of the enhanced Multilateral System (MLS). Co-Chair Hoogeveen stressed the need for compromise on fundamental issues, highlighting that an enhanced MLS is part of the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including global food security.Despite his efforts, the compromise proposal was not accepted as a basis for negotiations, with genetic sequence data being identified as the deal breaker. Norway expressed readiness to work on the basis of the proposal. North America, Australia, Japan, and Germany expressed concerns with regard to benefit-sharing from genetic sequence data. Africa, GRULAC, India, and other developing countries stressed that any agreement must include genetic sequence data. After brief consultations, Co-Chair Hoogeveen halted deliberations on the compromise proposal and called for a second reading of the revised SMTA and the draft resolution. Participants made numerous suggestions for additional text. Noting that “we have a crisis in our hands,” Co-Chair Hoogeveen proposed to hold informal consultations immediately prior to the Governing Body session, with one or two representatives from each region, to reach compromise on outstanding items. The Working Group agreed, and adopted the meeting’s report.Co-Chair Mozafari closed the meeting at 3:12 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OWG-EFMLS-9. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair Sunil Archak, Asia Yoshiko Motoyama, Asia Pierre du Plessis, Africa Catherine Karr-Colque, North America Mariem Omrani, Europe Axel Diederichsen, North America, and Imke Thormann, Europe Ali Chehade, Near East Federico Condón Priano, Latin America and the Caribbean Khaled Abulaila, Near East Axel Diederichsen, North America Lynda Hayden, Southwest Pacific From L-R: Stefano Mori, Antonio Onorati and Guy Kastler, Farmers' Organizations From L-R: Isabel López Noriega, Carolina Rodríguez, and Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR Consortium) Manrique Lucio Altavista, Latin America and the Caribbean Delegates from Europe conferring Imke Thormann, Europe José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Edward Hammond, Civil Society, and Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary, conferring with delegates from Africa Renata Negrelly Nogueira and Teresa Agüero Teare, Latin America and the Caribbean Elsa Tsioumani, IISD Reporting Services, with Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary John Wasswa Mulumba, Africa

Highlights for Friday, 25 October 2019 From L-R: Teresa Agüero Teare, Manrique Lucio Altavista, and William Solano Sánchez, Latin America and the Caribbean On Friday, the Working Group addressed elements of the draft resolution to be forwarded to the Governing Body. In the afternoon, Co-Chair Hans Hoogeveen (the Netherlands) presented the Co-Chairs’ compromise proposal on a package of elements, including: benefit-sharing payment rates under the single access and subscription systems; a provision on information or genetic sequence data; and a provision on the implementation and review of the enhanced Multilateral System (MLS). In the morning, participants discussed the section of the draft resolution referring to elements of the revised Standard Material Agreement (SMTA), with focus on: the rights of farmers and indigenous communities related to material in the MLS; the relationship between intellectual property rights and farmers’ rights; the importance of the MLS in enabling access to plant genetic resources to a wide range of recipients; exemptions from benefit-sharing payments, including for public institutions in developing countries; linkages among provisions on exemptions from payments in the draft resolution and the threshold for payments under discussion in the SMTA; and alternative provisions on fund allocation under the Benefit-sharing Fund. Afternoon discussions addressed elements of the draft resolution on the amendment of Annex I of the Treaty (list of crops in the MLS). Participants debated a draft provision allowing parties to declare a limited number of species native to their territory that they will not make available to the MLS.The Co-Chairs’ compromise proposal included: benefit-sharing payment rates under the single access and subscription systems, including: 2% of the sales of the commercialized product, minus 30%, for products that are not available without restriction to others for further research and breeding, under the single access system; 0.2% of the sales of the commercialized product, minus 30%, for products that are available without restriction under the single access system; and 0.015% under the subscription system; clauses specifying, under both systems, that the benefit-sharing payment obligations reflect the value of information, including genetic sequence data, directly derived from or directly associated with the MLS material in question; and a clause stating that the review of implementation in 2025 will include the status of ratifications of the amended Annex I, the level of user-based and other income, the number of subscribers, and the availability of MLS material. Co-Chair Hoogeveen invited participants to engage in informal consultations and consultation with capitals, in preparation for the final day of negotiations on Saturday. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OWG-EFMLS-9. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page From L-R: Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary; Javad Mozafari, Working Group Co-Chair; and Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair Axel Diederichsen, North America Manrique Lucio Altavista, Latin America and the Caribbean Daniele Manzella and Álvaro Toledo, ITPGRFA Secretariat Sunil Archak, Asia Alwin Kopse, Europe Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair, with Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary Akio Yamamoto, Asia Mariem Omrani, Europe Neha Lugo, North America, and Alwin Kopse, Europe Pierre du Plessis, Africa Teresa Agüero Teare, Latin America and the Caribbean Antonio Onorati, Farmers' Organizations Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary Anke Van Den Hurk, Seed Industry José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Akio Yamamoto and Yukio Yokoi, Asia Kim van Seeters, Europe, with Yoshiko Motoyama, Asia Delegates from the African region conferring From L-R: Federico Condón Priano, Renata Negrelly Nogueira, and José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Thin Lei Win, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Delegates from Latin America and the Caribbean conferring during a break in negotations Pierre du Plessis conferring with Kudzai Kusena, Africa Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, and Paul Olson, Seed Industry John Wasswa Mulumba, Africa Participants conferring during the lunch break

Highlights for Thursday, 24 October 2019 From L-R: Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary; Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair; Álvaro Toledo, ITPGRFA Secretariat; and Daniele Manzella, ITPGRFA Secretariat Following regional consultations held on Wednesday, 23 October, Co-Chairs Hans Hoogeveen (the Netherlands) and Javad Mozafari (Iran) resumed the ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) on Thursday, 24 October. Drawing attention to the constructive negotiations and several advances achieved in the first part of the meeting, Co-Chairs Hoogeveen and Mozafari urged participants to conclude negotiations and forward clean text to the Governing Body, to convene in November 2019.The Working Group then initiated negotiations on the draft revised Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA), with focus on outstanding provisions, on the basis of the draft resulting from the first part of the meeting, included in the Working Group’s interim report (IT/OWG-EFMLS-9/19/Interim Report).The Working Group first addressed the definitions of “sales” and “commercialization,” and provisions on the rights and obligations of the recipient regarding plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) under development.Lengthy negotiations ensued on the benefit-sharing payment rates under the single access and the subscription systems, and their linkages with the targets set for the Benefit-sharing Fund. Co-Chair Hoogeveen presented the Co-Chairs’ compromise proposals regarding: under single access, a rate of 0.2% of the sales of the commercialized product, minus 30%, for products that are available without restriction to others for further research and breeding; under single access, a rate of 2% of the sales of the commercialized product, minus 30%, for products that are not available without restriction; and under subscription, 0.015% in case a single payment rate is retained, and with the payment basis still under negotiation. Under single access, alternative proposals were submitted by GRULAC, who proposed a rate of 0.3% for products that are available without restriction, and Canada, who suggested 0.1%. Under subscription, Africa and the Near East proposed a rate of 0.1%, and Canada 0.011%. Following discussion, most participants agreed to the Co-Chairs’ compromise proposals and deliberations will continue. Afternoon deliberations on PGRFA information, also known as digital sequence information (DSI) or genetic sequence data, focused on identifying Treaty provisions allowing to address the issue while remaining within the Treaty’s scope. The Working Group discussed whether the Treaty text discourages or could accommodate benefit-sharing from use of DSI, including Treaty provisions on genetic parts or components, monetary benefit-sharing, and information exchange. It was noted that the issue includes two main components: the possibility of appropriation of research on genetic information derived from MLS material; and the question of monetary benefit-sharing from sales of PGRFA resulting from MLS material when the research and development process involves genetic sequences. The Working Group further addressed a section of the draft resolution on potential elements for the implementation and review of the enhanced MLS, addressing a review, in 2025, of the status of ratifications to the amended Annex I, the level of user-based income accruing to the Benefit-sharing Fund, and availability of and access to MLS material. Africa proposed that the review take place five years after subscription by 30% of users.A night session addressed provisions on withdrawal from and termination of the subscription. Negotiations will continue on Friday, on the basis of a new Co-Chairs’ proposal addressing, as a package, payment rates under the subscription and single access systems, and DSI. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the Resumed OWG-EFMLS-9. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair Axel Diederichsen, North America José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Antonio Onorati and Guy Kastler, Farmers' Organization Kim van Seeters, Europe Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR Consortium) Pierre du Plessis, Africa Anke Van Den Hurk, International Seed Federation (ISF) Akio Yamamoto, Asia François Meienberg, Civil Society, with Alwin Kopse, Europe Guy Kastler, Farmers' Organization, with Isabelle Clément-Nissou, Europe Asterios Tsioumanis, IISD Reporting Services, with Edward Hammond, Civil Society Imke Thormann and Marliese von den Driesch, Europe Javad Mozafari, Working Group Co-Chair From L-R: Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary; Massimo Di Fausto, FAO; and Daniele Manzella, ITPGRFA Secretariat François Meienberg and Edward Hammond, Civil Society Michael Halewood and Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, CGIAR Consortium Khaled Abulaila and Ali Chehade, Near East Sunil Archak, Asia, with Nestor Altoveros, Asia Anke Van Den Hurk, ISF, and Yukio Yokoi, Asia Stefano Mori and Guy Kastler, Farmers' Organization Around the Venue FAO, on its 74th anniversary, celebrated the World Food Day with an exhibition raising awarness on the Zero Hunger Challenge "La morte e il pianto", a sculpture donated by His Holiness Pope Francis on World Food Day 2017, commemorating Aylan Kurdi, the three-year old Syrian boy who drowned in September 2015 while crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

Highlights for Friday, 12 July 2019 As HLPF focused on SDG 13 (climate action), members of civil society demonstrate outside the UN Headquarters, saying 'we need you to wake up, we need you to rise up.' Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Friday, 12 July 2019 As the first week of HLPF 2019 drew to a close, two sessions reviewed the implementation and interrelations among Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). In the discussion on SDG 13, Luis Alfonso de Alba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit, pleaded with governments to bring ambitious plans to the Summit, to deliver a 45% reduction of emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Carolina Schmidt, Minister of Environment, Chile, and President-designate of the 2019 Climate Conference identified seven priorities for the Conference: ambition in implementation; rules for the carbon market mechanisms; climate finance; science for climate solutions; adaptation and loss and damage; forests and food security; and oceans and climate change. Gender will be a crosscutting theme for all the issues, she said. In the discussion on SDG 16, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reported no substantial progress on SDG 16 targets in recent years, with thousands at greater risk of intentional murder, aggression, and sexual violence. Women comprise 70% of the victims of violence, and murders of human rights defenders increased by 2 victims per week in 2018 compared to 2017. Speakers called for involving women, youth, and children in policy-making related to SDG 16; promoting non-discriminatory policies; instituting and enacting policies to protect human right defenders; and putting technology at the center of enhancing institutional capacity.A brief session in the morning also discussed the 2019 report of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum, which called for strengthened capacity and policies for development of STI roadmaps, and for tackling the fragmented nature of official development assistance for STI. Speakers said the UN General Assembly should be requested to report on progress of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM); member states should include STI in their voluntary national reviews (VNRs); and indigenous knowledge and citizen science should be considered as part of STI.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from HLPF 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Discussion on SDG 13 – Climate Action Plenary is filled to capacity as delegates participate in the discussion on SDG 13 (climate action). Luis Alfonso de Alba, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment, Chile, and COP 25 President Moderator Ovais Sarmad, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Deputy Executive Secretary Leena Srivastava, Co-Chair, UN Secretary-General’s Science Advisory Group for Climate Summit Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC Javier Manzanares, Deputy Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF) Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner, New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs Zhao Dong, Chairman, Xiamen Airlines, China Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) Dimakatso Sekhoto, World Farmers' Organization (WFO), and Farmers Major Group Johanna Lissinger Peitz, Sweden Mainassara Assouman, Niger Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua, Permanent Representative of the Marshall Islands to the UN Report of the STI Forum Panel speakers discussed key findings and recommendations for the STI Forum, international collaborations needed, and how to best mobilize STI to improve the lives of those furtherest behind. Marie Chatardová, Co-Chair, STI Forum Elizabeth Thompson, Co-Chair, STI Forum Yushi Torigoe, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Kazuhiko Takeuchi, President, Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Japan Vaughan Turekian, Co-Chair, 10-Member Advisory Group to the STI Forum Paul Maseli, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Paulo Gadelha, 10-Member Group to the STI Forum Hasina Efunyemi, Women's Major Group Discussion on SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions The session included discussions on: policy reforms; local actions and strategies to strengthen the resilience of communities and institutions to best deliver on SDG 16; and how SDG 16 targets and indicators can leverage human rights norms, standards, and analytical approaches to inform the measurement, monitoring, and implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Vibeke Oestreich Nielsen, Statistics Division, UN DESA Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica, and Vice President, Club de Madrid Emanuela del Re, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Ahona Paul, Cambodia, and Charles Young, Jamaica, Children and Youth Representatives on ending violence against children Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, Vice-Minister of Justice, Argentina Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Director, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Widya Sadnovic, Indonesia Marina de Paiva, NGO Major Group Lead Discussants Edward Thomas Porokwa, Executive Director, Pastoralists Indigenous NGO’s Forum, and Harib Al Amimi, President, State Audit Institution, UAE Climate Strike As discussions about climate action continue inside the UN Headquarters, members of civil society join in the Fridays for Future movement and demonstrate outside, calling on global leaders to take immediate action to solve the climate crisis. Around the Venue Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment, Chile; Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary; and Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC, consults with Marie Chatardová, Co-Chair, STI Forum Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica (left), speaks with delegates Ayman Cherkaoui, Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment Delegates between sessions A delegate visits the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) website to keep track of the meeting's proceedings

Highlights for Thursday, 20 June 2019 From L-R: Hans Hoogeveen, Working Group Co-Chair; Álvaro Toledo, ITPGRFA Secretariat; Tobias Kiene, ITPGRFA Secretariat; Kent Nnadozie, ITPGRFA Secretary; and Olivier Rukundo, ITPGRFA Secretariat On Thursday, the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) met in morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. Delegates reached tentative consensus on amending Annex I of the Treaty (list of crops in the MLS), pending consultation with capitals; and on a package of measures that simultaneously adopts the revised Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) and the amendment of Annex I. Negotiations on the specific provisions of the draft revised SMTA continued into the night in the Friends of the Co-Chairs' group. With regard to the amendment of Annex I, the Working Group addressed a Co-Chairs’ proposal for compromise text, which: covers all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) under the management and control of parties, in the public domain and in ex situ conditions; and allows parties to make declarations that they will not provide facilitated access to a limited number of species that are native to their territories. Following negotiations on the possibility for national exemptions, tentative agreement was reached to state that: a party may, exceptionally, declare a certain and limited number of species native to its territory that it will not include in the MLS; such a declaration shall not affect the rights and obligations of any other party related to the species, nor shall it affect the inclusion of species in the MLS by international institutions that concluded Article 15 agreements with the Governing Body; and a party may withdraw its declaration at any time but shall not make any additional declaration. The resolution will further: call on parties to exercise restraint in using exemptions and include an indicative list of reasons; providing for a review of exemptions by the Governing Body in 2025; and recommend that the criteria for disbursement under the Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) will prioritize parties who have not excluded material under the amended Annex I, proportionate to the amount of exclusions. With regard to the package of measures that simultaneously adopts the revised SMTA and the amendment of Annex I, the Working Group negotiated and eventually agreed to a Co-Chairs' proposal, as amended, noting that, in case the amendment of Annex I does not enter into force by 2025: payments in case of commercialization of products made available without restriction would become voluntary again, until the entry into force of the amendment; the registration to the subscription system will be suspended until entry into force; subscribers may opt to revert to the single access system, and the amounts paid shall be credited, or may voluntarily continue their subscription for a total of ten years from its starting date; and 50% of the income paid into the BSF will support projects in parties that have ratified the amendment, with the remaining released after the amendment enters into force. Negotiations on the text of the draft revised SMTA continued into the night, addressing, among other issues, rights and obligations of the recipient of the MLS material. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OWG-EFMLS-9, which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Marliese von den Driesch and Imke Thormann, Europe Thomas Meier, Europe Manrique Lucio Altavista, Latin America and the Caribbean Delegates conferring during a break in negotiations Nestor Altoveros, Asia, with José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean Sunil Archak, Asia, and Pierre du Plessis, Africa Members of the Latin America and the Caribbean negotiating group Nestor Altoveros, Asia Guy Kastler, Farmers Organization Members of the European negotiating group Edward Hammond, Civil Society, with Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR Consortium) Cheikh Alassane Fall and Pierre du Plessis, Africa Akio Yamamoto, Asia Axel Diederichsen, North America Axel Diederichsen, North America, and Pierre du Plessis, Africa John Wasswa Mulumba, Africa, and Nestor Altoveros, Asia Delegates conferring during a break in negotiations From L-R: Emily Carroll, South West Pacific; Michael Halewood, CGIAR Consortium; and Anke Van Den Hurk, Seed Industry José Valls, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Catherine Karr-Colque, North America