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Description
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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 Kazakhstan, 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.
The National Mechanism on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 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 the conservation and utilisation of plant genetic resources and agro-biodiversity. The Mechanism takes advantage of a computer application to facilitate the management of the information addressed by a list of internationally agreed indicators for monitoring the implementation of the Global Plan of Action at country level.
During the Mechanism's establishment in 2005-2006, the Research and Production Centre of Husbandry and Plant Industry, has acted as the Coordinating Organization for the Mechanism in the country and counted on the participation of other 11 National Institutions and more than 50 scientists. Activities towards its establishment included an initial stakeholders' meeting held in April 2005 at the Centre to gain the understanding and commitment of stakeholders in the monitoring process, and a second stakeholders' workshop held in September 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 in Kazakhstan and this web portal have been prepared and presented at a third national workshop held at the Research and Production Centre of Husbandry and Plant Industry in January 2007.
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 portal. Other countries' Mechanism including the Kazakh 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.
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