Latin American and Caribbean Group

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 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.