FUNDING REQUEST: FAO TREATY ON GENETIC RESOURCES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002210 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/ENV RICK DRISCOLL, IO/EDA KOTOK USDA FOR HEGWOOD, USDA/FAS FOR REICH AND HUGHES, USDA/ARS FOR JUNE BLALOCK AND PETER BRETTING USAID FOR ROB BERTRAM MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL NAIROBI FOR UNEP FROM FODAG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02210 01 OF 02 191114Z E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR AORC EAGR AORC FAO FAO SUBJECT: FUNDING REQUEST: FAO TREATY ON GENETIC RESOURCES REF: (02) ROME 5252 ¶1. SUMMARY. THE UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) SECRETARIAT HAS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED THE EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON THE MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR THE TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (THE TREATY) FOR OCTOBER 2003. THE SECRETARIAT HOPES (BUT HAS NO ASSURANCES) THAT DONORS WILL COME UP WITH THE USD 321,250 STILL NEEDED TO HOST THE MEETING. IN ORDER TO GENERATE FUNDS FOR THE MEETING AND FOR THE OTHER PREPARATORY WORK THAT MUST BE DONE, THE FAO HAS ISSUED AN APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO A MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND. ACCORDING TO THE SECRETARIAT, THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPECTS THAT ALL MEMBERS WILL HAVE RATIFIED BY THE END OF 2003, AT WHICH POINT THE TREATY WILL BE SIX RATIFICATIONS SHORT OF ENTRY INTO FORCE. THE RAPID PACE OF RATIFICATION RAISES THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE TREATY WILL ENTER INTO FORCE BEFORE THE INTERIM COMMITTEE HAS COMPLETED WORK ON THE DRAFT MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (MTA),THE DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE AND FINANCIAL RULES AND COMPLIANCE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. AT THE FIRST MEETING (REFTEL) OF THE FAO INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE TREATY, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AGREED ON A PLAN FOR WORK WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TREATY'S GOVERNING BODY. THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02210 01 OF 02 191114Z WORK PLAN INCLUDES: AN EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON PREPARATION OF A DRAFT MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT AND A WORKING GROUP MEETING ON DRAFT FINANCIAL RULES, RULES OF PROCEDURE AND COMPLIANCE. ¶3. THERE IS NO FUNDING IN FAO'S REGULAR BUDGET FOR THESE ACTIVITIES; ABSENT VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS THEY WILL NOT/NOT TAKE PLACE. SHOULD THE INTERIM COMMITTEE MEET BEFORE THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES, FUNDING WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THAT SESSION AS WELL. ¶4. FAO HAS PREPARED A "MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND" PROPOSAL (COVER LETTER PROVIDED BELOW; COMPLETE PROPOSAL FAXED TO OES RICK DRISCOLL 4/29/03) WHICH OUTLINES THE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EXPERT GROUP AND WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, A MEETING OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE AND SECRETARIAT SUPPORT. THE OVERALL ESTIMATE IS USD SIPDIS 2,886,965 OVER 2003-2004. OF MOST IMMEDIATE INTEREST IS THE EXPERT GROUP FOR THE MTA WHICH IS COSTED AT USD 378,250 (USD 228,250 FOR SERVICING THE MEETING; USD 150,000 FOR TRAVEL OF EXPERTS AND ADVISERS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND COUNTRIES WITH ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION.) MTA EXPERT GROUP -- CURRENT STATE OF PLAY -------------- ¶5. MISOFF MET WITH CLIVE STANNARD, SENIOR LIAISON OFFICER IN FAO'S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT MAY 15, 2003 TO DISCUSS THE FUNDING SITUATION. THE SECRETARIAT CURRENTLY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 02210 01 OF 02 191114Z HAS ABOUT USD 57,000 FOR THE MTA EXPERT GROUP. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FROM CANADA (USD 21,00),SPAIN (USD 9,000) AND FROM LEFTOVER FUNDS FROM DONORS FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES. STANNARD SAID THAT WAS NO CHANCE OF HOLDING THE MTA MEETING BEFORE AUGUST; THEY HAVE TENTATIVELY SET THE DATE FOR OCTOBER, WITH THE WORKING GROUP ON RULES OF PROCEDURE, FINANCIAL RULES AND COMPLIANCE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 2003. EARLY ENTRY INTO FORCE OF TREATY? -------------- ¶6. STANNARD ALSO INFORMED MISOFF THAT THE EU EXPECTED THAT MEMBER STATE RATIFICATIONS WOULD BE COMPLETE BY THE END OF 2003, WHICH WOULD BRING THE NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS 6 SHORT OF THE FORTY REQUIRED TO BRING THE TREATY INTO FORCE. SHOULD THE TREATY COME INTO FORCE WITH WORK ON THE MTA, FINANCIAL RULES, RULES OF PROCEDURE AND COMPLIANCE STILL UNFINISHED, PARTIES TO THE TREATY WOULD NEED TO DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED. STANNARD SUGGESTED THAT ONE POSSIBILITY WOULD BE FOR THE INTERIM COMMITTEE TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WOULD THEN FINISH THE WORK NECESSARY BEFORE THE FIRST UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4759 PAGE 01 ROME 02210 02 OF 02 191114Z ACTION OES-00 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 ITCE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EXME-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 FDRE-01 VC-00 FRB-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 CAEX-00 PER-00 ACE-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 DRL-01 G-00 SAS-00 /010W -------------- 673FB1 191115Z /38 R 191112Z MAY 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9992 USDA FAS WASHDC 2675 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY NAIROBI AMEMBASSY MEXICO USEU BRUSSELS 3237 UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 002210 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/ENV RICK DRISCOLL, IO/EDA KOTOK USDA FOR HEGWOOD, USDA/FAS FOR REICH AND HUGHES, USDA/ARS FOR JUNE BLALOCK AND PETER BRETTING USAID FOR ROB BERTRAM MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL NAIROBI FOR UNEP FROM FODAG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02210 02 OF 02 191114Z E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR AORC EAGR AORC FAO FAO SUBJECT: FUNDING REQUEST: FAO TREATY ON GENETIC RESOURCES MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BODY. FAO PROPOSAL FOR MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND -------------- ¶7. TEXT OF THE SECRETARIAT LETTER TO AMBASSADOR HALL, U.S. PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, FOLLOWS: APRIL 28, 2003 YOUR EXCELLENCY: I HAVE THE HONOR TO SUBMIT TO YOU FAO'S PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. THIS MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM OF WORK FOR 2003 AND 2004 ESTABLISHED BY THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ACTING AS INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. IT RESPONDS TO FAO CONFERENCE RESOLUTION 3/2001, WHICH REQUESTED THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE TO ACT AS INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02210 02 OF 02 191114Z AND DESCRIBED THE WORK TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE INTERIM PERIOD. THE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED BY THE MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND ARE INCREMENTAL TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY, AS ALREADY PLANNED IN THE FAO MEDIUM TERM PLAN (2002-2007). HOWEVER, AS THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY WAS ADOPTED IN NOVEMBER 2001, AFTER THE FAO PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET FOR 2002/03 HAD BEEN DEVELOPED, LIMITED RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET; THERE IS CONSEQUENTLY A NEED FOR SUBSTANTIAL EXTRA-BUDGETARY SUPPORT FOR HE ACTIVITIES FORESEEN IN THE INTERIM PERIOD. THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: (A) ONE MEETING OF THE EXPERT GROUP ON THE TERMS OF THE STANDARD MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT; (B) ONE MEETING OF WORKING GROUP ON THE RULES OF PROCEDURE AND THE FINANCIAL RULES OF THE GOVERNING BODY AND COMPLIANCE; AND (C) THE SECOND MEETING OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY. THESE MEETINGS ARE INTENDED TO PREPARE A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT INSTRUMENTS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY AT ITS FIRST MEETING; FAILURE TO AGREE ON SUCH INSTRUMENTS BY THE TIME OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BODY MAY COMPLICATE THE TREATY'S IMPLEMENTATION. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL, THEREFORE, IF YOU COULD INDICATE, AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE, YOUR GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPOSED MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 02210 02 OF 02 191114Z (SIGNED) HENRI CARSALADE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL, TECHNICAL COOPERATION DEPARTMENT, FAO, ROME. END TEXT. TAMLYN UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME02210 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED