|
The Global
Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization
of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was formally
adopted by representatives of 150 countries including India, during
the International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources
held in Leipzig in 1996. The Conference also adopted the Leipzig
Declaration, which focuses on the importance of plant genetic resources
for world food security, and commits countries to the implementation
of the Plan.
The Global Plan of Action (GPA) represents an important
contribution to the implementation of the Convention
on Biological Diversity in the field of food and agriculture and
it is one of the supporting elements of the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Its
main objectives are (i) to ensure the conservation of plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) as a basis for food security,
(ii) to promote sustainable utilization of PGRFA in order to foster
development and to reduce hunger and poverty, (iii) to promote a fair
and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of PGRFA,
(iv) to assist countries and institutions responsible for conserving
and using PGRFA to identify priorities for action, and (v) to strengthen
national, regional and international programmes for the conservation
and utilization of PGRFA, including education and training. To meet
these objectives 20 priority activity areas are included in the GPA
organized into four groups: In Situ Conservation and Development,
Ex Situ Conservation, Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources,
and Institutions and Capacity Building.
Since 2003, India and other seven countries from South and South East
Asia are participating in the FAO project GCP/RAS/186/JPN "Implementation
of the GPA in Asia" which has supported the establishment of the National
Information Sharing Mechanism on PGRFA.
The Mechanism is based on the participation of stakeholders at national
level and seeks to promote information exchange and strengthen stakeholder
cooperation, thereby contributing to enhance the capacity of the National
Programme for Conservation and Utilisation of Plant Germplasm and
Agro-biodiversity. The Mechanism includes a computer application to
facilitate the management of the information addressed by a list of
indicators and a related reporting format for monitoring the implementation
of the GPA in the country.
The National
Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Indian
Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture,
acted as the Coordinating Organization for the Mechanism in
the country and counted on the participation of other National
Stakeholders. Activities towards its establishment included an
initial stakeholders’ meeting held in January 2005 at NBPGR to gain
the understanding and commitment of stakeholders in the monitoring
process, implementation and training on the computer application,
and second stakeholders’ workshops held during February-March, 2005
to train stakeholders in the use of the computer application. Following
the analysis of the information gathered, a report including an overview
of the status of PGRFA activities in India is being prepared.
All the information compiled under the National Information Sharing
Mechanism on GPA Implementation, including the final country report,
can be accessed in through this
web site. Other countries’ Mechanism including the Indian Mechanism
can be accessed in several languages under the FAO World
Information and Early Warning System on Plant Genetic Resources (WIEWS).
The computer application of the Mechanism and its database are also
available off-line on CDs.
|