NO GOE REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND IICA MEETING

UNCLAS QUITO 001100 SIPDIS USDA/FAS - STEVE FROGGETT OES/ENRC - DANIELLE WOOD EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT - MARCELLA SZYMANSKI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR SENV ETRD EC SUBJECT: NO GOE REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND IICA MEETING REF: STATE 114855 ¶1. In response to reftel demarche request, Post contacted AGROCALIDAD, the Ecuadorian agency in charge of sanitary and phytosanitary matters, to discuss the upcoming Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture meeting in Santiago, Chile on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. In the past, AGROCALIDAD has represented the GoE at these meetings. However, we were told that the Environment Ministry will be responsible for future discussions on the Cartagena Protocol. Since the Environment Ministry has as not yet assigned anyone to this portfolio, the GoE will not be sending any representative to the IICA meeting. ¶2. Post will follow up with both AGROCALIDAD and the Environment Ministry to determine who will attend the February 2010 meeting in Kula Lumpur of the Group of the Friends of the Co-Chairs Concerning Liability and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. CHRITTON CHRITTON