Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ROME280
2004-01-27 12:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES: TREATY COULD ENTER

Tags:  EAGR ETRD SENV KIPR AORC FAO 
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UNCLAS ROME 000280 

SIPDIS


USDA FOR DHEGWOOD, FAS - BRICHEY LREICH AND RHUGHES
STATE FOR OES/ETC - NEUMANN, EB/TPP/BTT - MALAC
AND IO/EDA - KOTOK
USAID FOR EGAT/ESP - MOORE AND BERTRAM
AND ARS - BRETTING AND BLALOCK

FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SENV KIPR AORC FAO
SUBJECT: PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES: TREATY COULD ENTER
INTO FORCE BY JUNE 2004; MATERIAL TRANSFER MEETING MAY
SLIP UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004

REF: (A) 03 ROME 2210, (B) 03 ROME 5197
(C) 03 STATE 301407

UNCLAS ROME 000280

SIPDIS


USDA FOR DHEGWOOD, FAS - BRICHEY LREICH AND RHUGHES
STATE FOR OES/ETC - NEUMANN, EB/TPP/BTT - MALAC
AND IO/EDA - KOTOK
USAID FOR EGAT/ESP - MOORE AND BERTRAM
AND ARS - BRETTING AND BLALOCK

FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SENV KIPR AORC FAO
SUBJECT: PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES: TREATY COULD ENTER
INTO FORCE BY JUNE 2004; MATERIAL TRANSFER MEETING MAY
SLIP UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004

REF: (A) 03 ROME 2210, (B) 03 ROME 5197
(C) 03 STATE 301407


1. SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO THE FAO SECRETARIAT, AS OF 26
JANUARY SOME 34-35 COUNTRIES HAD SUBMITTED RATIFICATION
INSTRUMENTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY (IT) FOR PLANT
GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. THE EC IS
EXPECTED TO DO SO IN MID MARCH 2004, CONCURRENTLY WITH AT
LEAST A HANDFUL OF EU MEMBER STATES, THUS RAISING THE
NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS OVER THE THRESHOLD OF 40 AND
LIKELY TRIGGERING ENTRY INTO FORCE BY MID JUNE 2004.
MEANWHILE, FAO STILL LACKS SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO HOLD A
MEETING TO NEGOTIATE A STANDARD MATERIAL TRANSFER
AGREEMENT AND TWO OTHER IT-RELATED PREPARATORY MEETINGS.
IF FUNDS ARE NOT FORTHCOMING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE
DATE OF THE MTA MEETING COULD SLIP FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER

2004. THESE DEVELOPMENTS SUGGEST THAT THE IT WILL LIKELY
ENTER INTO FORCE WITH KEY MTA QUESTIONS UNRESOLVED AND
THE US MARGINALIZED AS AN OBSERVER IN THE INITIAL
DELIBERATIONS OF THE IT GOVERNING BODY. END SUMMARY.


2. ON JANUARY 26, ALTERNATE PERMREP DISCUSSED PROGRESS
ON THE IT AND MTA WITH CLIVE STANNARD, SENIOR LIAISON
OFFICER FOR THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD
AND AGRICULTURE.


3. ACCORDING TO STANNARD, 34 OR 35 COUNTRIES HAVE
ALREADY SUBMITTED THEIR IT INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION.
HE SAID FAO HAD LEARNED THAT THE EC IS PLANNING TO SUBMIT
RATIFICATION INSTRUMENTS O/A MARCH 12, AND THAT OTHER EU
MEMBER STATES THAT ARE IN A POSITION TO DO WILL SUBMIT
THEIR INSTRUMENTS CONCURRENTLY. ACTION BY THE EUROPEANS
WILL TAKE THE NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS ABOVE THE MINIMUM
NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS (40),THEREBY TRIGGERING ENTRY
INTO FORCE 90 DAYS THEREAFTER.


4. REGARDING THE MTA EXPERTS MEETING, STANNARD SAID FAO
STILL LACKS THE NECESSARY DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOLD THE
INTENDED IT-RELATED MEETINGS. AT THIS POINT, THERE IS
ONLY ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE INTERIM COMMITTEE SESSION IN
NOVEMBER. THE MTA MEETING AND WORKING GROUP ON
COMPLIANCE ISSUES MAY HAVE TO BE DEFERRED FROM JULY UNTIL
NOVEMBER IF THE FUNDING QUESTION IS NOT RESOLVED IN THE
NEXT FEW WEEKS. FAO OFFICIALS HAVE TALKED RECENTLY TO
IRELAND, THE UK AND THE NETHERLANDS, AND ARE ENCOURAGING
DONORS TO COORDINATE AMONGST THEMSELVES TO ASSURE THE
NECESSARY FUNDS. THE SHORTFALL IS ATTRIBUTABLE IN PART
TO THE CHANGED FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF JAPAN (THE
LARGEST DONOR TO EARLIER IT NEGOTIATIONS) AND TO A NEW
TENDENCY AMONG SOME EUROPEAN DONORS TO MAKE BLOCK GRANTS
TO FAO PROGRAMMING (WHICH ARE THEN SPREAD OVER VARIOUS
FAO ACTIVITIES) INSTEAD OF EARMARKED VOLUNTARY
CONTRIBUTIONS TO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE IT.


5. COMMENT: IT NOW APPEARS THAT -- NOTWITHSTANDING USG
EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE OTHER DONORS (REF B) AND OUR OWN
CONTRIBUTION OF $50,000 -- THE DATE OF THE MTA MEETING
(ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED FOR OCTOBER 2003) MAY NOW SLIP
UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004. THIS SUGGESTS THAT WE WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO RELY ON THE MTA PROCESS, WHICH WILL LIKELY START
LATE AND STRETCH OUT OVER CONSIDERABLE TIME, TO SAFEGUARD
KEY USG INTERESTS AS THE IT ENTERS INTO FORCE. WE MAY
NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON ENSURING THAT OBSERVERS SUCH AS
OURSELVES HAVE A SPACE TO PARTICIPATE SUBSTANTIVELY IN
THE INTERIM COMMITTEE.

CLEVERLEY

NNNN
2004ROME00280 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED