Rome, Italy
24-26 June 2024
Outline for Assessment of the State of Implementation
Farmers’ Rights experts from 31 countries gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome to discuss the state of implementation of Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which calls on nations to protect and promote of the rights of smallholder farmers around the world.
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International Treaty Secretary, Kent Nnadozie welcomed the members and observers of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Farmers’ Rights (AHTEG-FR), including the Co-Chairs, Ms Kim Van Seeters from the Netherlands and Ms Modester Kachapila-Millinyu from Malawi, as they convened for the fifth time to discuss the next steps in the realization of Farmers’ Rights under Article 9 of the International Treaty. He thanked the participants for their commitment and important contributions so far, and said, “Your hard work paved the way for the development of the Inventory, which is now serving as a rolling document with more than 230 measures from across the Regions, and theOptions for encouraging, guiding, and promoting the realization of Farmers’ Rights as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty, which contains 32 options to choose from.”
“These documents now serve as essential references for all Contracting Parties, institutions, stakeholders and interested individuals who wish to protect and promote Farmers’ Rights as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty,” Secretary Nnadozie pointed out.
Secretary Nnadozie also expressed his gratitude to the governments of Italy and Norway for their generous support for the convening of the meeting, which was attended by more than 40 participants representing Contracting Parties, Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organizations, Farmers’ Organizations and other interested stakeholders from various regions of the world.
Key Outcomes
The AHTEG-FR 5 agreed upon and finalized the Outline for the Assessment of the State of Implementation of Article 9 of the International Treaty. They also established a draft list of suggested actions on how the use of Options for encouraging, guiding and promoting the realization of Farmers’ Rights, as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty can be promoted. The proposed actions include the following:
- Regional exchanges on practical implementation of Farmers’ Rights;
- Capacity building activities such as trainings, workshops and awareness raising through other means and channels, including social media and websites of the International Treaty, partners and other stakeholders;
- Creating different levels of programmes or projects encouraging partnerships and cooperation among different actors to engage in South-South Cooperation in their specific contexts, to protect and promote the realization of Farmers’ Rights, as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty; and
- Possibility of presenting a global prize for Farmers’ Rights at an award ceremony during sessions of the Governing Body.
The sixth meeting of the AHTEG is expected to include further details on the actions to implement the Options, which will subsequently be presented to the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty (GB-11) in 2025.
A very positive atmosphere prevailed throughout the three-day meeting, enabling constructive discussions to take place. Several presentations were made by relevant intersessional Committees of the International Treaty and partners whose work was relevant to Farmers’ Rights, highlighting the current initiatives and interlinkages with the work of the AHTEG-FR 5: Michael Ryan, Co-Chair, Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System, provided an update on the ongoing work of the Working Group. Patricia Gadaleta and Mr Pace Lubinsky, Co-Chairs, Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Conservation and Sustainable use, presented an update on the previous and current work of the Committee. Tobias Kiene, Secretariat of the International Treaty, gave an update on the work of the Compliance Committee. Arshiya Noorani, FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP)/Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), provided an update on relevant FAO work, in particular, on the conservation and sustainable use of farmers’ varieties and landraces. Claudio Chiarolla, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, presented an update on CGIAR centers’ experiences, practices and lessons learned in facilitating and promoting the realization of Farmers’ Rights.
The Secretariat and Contracting Parties celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Treaty this year, including the crucial work accomplished regarding Farmers’ Rights and the Conservation and Sustainable Use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
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