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International
INTERNATIONAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO Commission On Genetic Resources For Food And Agriculture (CGRFA)
International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources (IUPAR)
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. FAO's activities comprise four main areas:
Putting information within reach. | |
Sharing policy expertise. | |
Providing a meeting place for nations. | |
Bringing knowledge to the field. |
Since 1983 the FAO has been developing its Global System for the Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The aims of the Global System are the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources for Food and Agriculture. The aims of the Global System are the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
FAO COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (CGRFA)
The Commission was originally established in 1983 as the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources, by the FAO Conference, (Resolution 9/83), to deal with issues related to plant genetic resources. In 1995, its mandate was broadened (Resolution 3/95), to cover all components of agro-biodiversity of relevance to food and agriculture. It was then renamed the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA).
The CGRFA is the only permanent UN inter-governmental forum dealing specifically with matters related to the conservation and utilization of genetic resources for food and agriculture, and related technologies. In 1997, the Commission established working groups on plant genetic resources and on farm animal genetic resources. The working group on farm animal genetic resources was given the task of furthering the development of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources, covering both technical and policy aspects of the conservation and sustainable use of farm animal genetic resources, which will include aspects of the regulation of access and exchange, intellectual property rights and trade. The working group on plant genetic resources was to examine the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (described below) and related follow-up activities. Currently, 160 countries and the European Community are members of the CGRFA.
INTERNATIONAL UNDERTAKING ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (IUPGR)
In 1983 the Conference of the FAO adopted the IUPGR as a non-legally binding instrument. The CGRFA monitors the implementation of the IUPGR, the first international instrument governing the conservation and sustainable utilization of agricultural biodiversity. This non-legally binding instrument was adopted by the FAO Conference in 1983 and 113 countries have adhered to it.
Through the CGRFA, FAO members have, since then, been involved in negotiations concerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and related technologies, particularly in the context of the refinement of the IUPGR, through a series of agreed interpretations, and complementary resolutions. In particular, FAO Conference Resolution 5/89, unanimously adopted, recognized Farmers' Rights as the "rights arising from the past, present and future contributions of farmers in conserving, improving and making available plant genetic resources, particularly those in the centres of diversity/origin".
The agreed interpretations are now part of the IUPGR and seek to develop and maintain a balance between access to the new, commercial products of biotechnology on the one hand, and farmers' varieties and wild material on the other, as well as the interests of developed and developing countries, by balancing the rights of breeders (formal innovators) and farmers (informal innovators).
Intergovernmental negotiations are currently underway in the CGRFA for the revision of the IUPGR, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), covering inter alia access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and related technologies, and the realization of Farmers' Rights. During 1999, there has been important progress in the negotiations in relation to Article 15: Farmer's Rights, where countries have negotiated and agreed a text without brackets. During these negotiations, many delegates recognized the connections with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, and a number felt that Farmers' Rights includes useful elements for the development of national sui generis systems.
A further issue in discussion is how to ensure that technologies developed on the basis of plant genetic resources are available on terms that are consistent with the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), as required by Article 16.1 of the CBD. In addition, the CGRFA is also negotiating a Code of Conduct on Biotechnology, including a component on IPR.
During this process, FAO has provided the Commission with various technical studies and analyses of relevant topics, to facilitate the negotiations for the revision of the IUPGR.
THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH(CGIAR)
The CGIAR, founded in 1971. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting 15 international agricultural Centers, that work with national agricultural research systems and civil society organizations including the private sector. The alliance mobilizes agricultural science to reduce poverty, foster human well being, promote agricultural growth and protect the environment. The CGIAR generates global public goods that are available to all. The CGIAR supports a collection of germplasm, The Germplasm collections, which are held under the auspices of the FAO “in trust for the benefit of the international community, in particular the developing countries”, include up to 40 per cent of all unique samples of major food crops held by gene banks worldwide.
In recent years difficult questions have been raised concerning the legal status of the CGIAR germplasm collections. A number of the gene banks that make up the CGIAR were established in the 1960s and 1970s as facilitators of the agricultural research that precipitated the so-called Green Revolution. At that time the questions of ownership and of intellectual property rights in the collections were not addressed, being very much subordinated to the mission of the CGIAR to increase crop yields to feed a burgeoning world population. It has only been recent years, following the promulgation of the TRIPs Agreement and the CBD, that germplasm ownership issues have become important.
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW VARIEITES OF PLANTS (UPOV)
http://www.upov.int/en/about/introduction.htm
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland).
UPOV was established by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. The Convention was adopted in Paris in 1961 and it was revised in 1972, 1978 and 1991. The objective of the Convention is the protection of new varieties of plants by an intellectual property right. The UPOV system of plant variety protection came into being with the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants by a Diplomatic Conference in Paris on December 2, 1961. This was the point at which there was recognition of the rights of plant breeders on an international basis.
The UPOV Convention provides a sui generis form of intellectual property protection which has been specifically adapted for the process of plant breeding and has been developed with the aim of encouraging breeders to develop new varieties of plants.
THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION(WIPO)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the use and protection of works of the human spirit. These works -- intellectual property -- are expanding the bounds of science and technology and enriching the world of the arts. Through its work, WIPO plays an important role in enhancing the quality and enjoyment of life, as well as creating real wealth for nations.
With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of organizations. It administers 23 international treaties dealing with different aspects of intellectual property protection. The Organization counts 182 nations as member states. Please visit the links below for more information -- both general and specific on WIPO.
In 1997 WIPO established its Global Intellectual Property Issues Division (GIPID), to deal with:
The challenges facing the intellectual property system in a rapidly changing world, such as accelerating technological advancement, the integration of the world’s economic, cultural and information systems, and the expanding relevance of intellectual property issues in trade, culture, investment, human rights, health and environmental spheres.
THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)
Established in 1964, UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has progressively evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based institution whose work aims to help shape current policy debates and thinking on development, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.
UNCTAD meets every four years at Ministerial level to formulate policy guidelines and set work priorities. At its inaugural conference the principal functions of UNCTAD were identified as the promotion of international trade between countries at different stages of economic development and the formulation of principles and policies on international trade and the related question of economic development. To these ends UNCTAD’s activities have included;
- It functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building.
- It undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts.
- It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition. When appropriate, UNCTAD cooperates with other organizations and donor countries in the delivery of technical assistance.
UNCTAD has been a strong advocate of positive measures to assist developing countries in promoting sustainable development. These include the development of appropriate technologies, identification of technologies, capacity building and generating financial resources for sustainable development, such as greenhouse gas emissions trading, as well as taking advantage of the incentive measures built into the CBD
THE ORGANISATIN FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)
The OECD plays a prominent role in fostering good governance in the public service and in corporate activity. It helps governments to ensure the responsiveness of key economic areas with sectoral monitoring. By deciphering emerging issues and identifying policies that work, it helps policy-makers adopt strategic orientations. It is well known for its individual country surveys and reviews. The OECD describes its vocation from the outset as having been “to build strong economies in its member countries, improve efficiency, hone market systems, expand free trade and contribute to development in industrialized as well as developing countries. The interface of trade policies and environmental policies has been the subject of the work in the OECD Joint Working Party on Trade and Environment since the group's creation in 1991.
Overall, the OCED directorates have produced a number of significant studies that have apparently been influential on WTO thinking in the environmental arena. The OECD is also active in other areas of policy formation, which in turn impact on the WTO. For example, it has played an active role in the Committee of the Parties of the CBD.
