National Focal Points are designated by their countries’ governments to report on the GPA implementation to the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. They have the overall responsibility of:

• co-ordinating and facilitating in-country activities of information exchange, and
• presenting reports at national, regional, and international levels.

With regard to the establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism, National Focal Points will be in charge of initiating, organizing, and directing the involvement of Stakeholders in particular,

• Revising and completing the Common Tables in the Computer Application, to be used as a reference information by Stakeholders to facilitate data entry;

• Calling for and organizing in country Stakeholders’ meetings;

• Assisting and guiding the Stakeholders in the participatory data sharing process;

• Distributing the Computer Application and all relevant documents to the Stakeholders participating in the National Information Sharing Mechanism on GPA implementation;

• Compiling the information received by the Stakeholders.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)* has appointed the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources as the National Focal Point in India for reporting on the GPA implementation to the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization.