US embassy cable - 03ROME2210

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002210 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/ENV RICK DRISCOLL, IO/EDA KOTOK 
USDA FOR HEGWOOD, USDA/FAS FOR REICH AND HUGHES, USDA/ARS 
FOR JUNE BLALOCK AND PETER BRETTING 
USAID FOR ROB BERTRAM 
MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL 
NAIROBI FOR UNEP 
 
FROM FODAG 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  02210  01 OF 02  191114Z 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, AORC, EAGR, AORC, FAO, FAO 
SUBJECT: FUNDING REQUEST: FAO TREATY ON GENETIC RESOURCES 
 
REF:  (02) ROME 5252 
 
1.  SUMMARY.  THE UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION 
(FAO) SECRETARIAT HAS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED THE EXPERT 
GROUP MEETING ON THE MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT FOR THE 
TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (THE TREATY) FOR 
OCTOBER 2003.  THE SECRETARIAT HOPES (BUT HAS NO 
ASSURANCES) THAT DONORS WILL COME UP WITH THE USD 321,250 
STILL NEEDED TO HOST THE MEETING.  IN ORDER TO GENERATE 
FUNDS FOR THE MEETING AND FOR THE OTHER PREPARATORY WORK 
THAT MUST BE DONE, THE FAO HAS ISSUED AN APPEAL FOR 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO A MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND.   ACCORDING TO 
THE SECRETARIAT, THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPECTS THAT ALL 
MEMBERS WILL HAVE RATIFIED BY THE END OF 2003, AT WHICH 
POINT THE TREATY WILL BE SIX RATIFICATIONS SHORT OF ENTRY 
INTO FORCE.  THE RAPID PACE OF RATIFICATION RAISES THE 
POSSIBILITY THAT THE TREATY WILL ENTER INTO FORCE BEFORE 
THE INTERIM COMMITTEE HAS COMPLETED WORK ON THE DRAFT 
MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT (MTA), THE DRAFT RULES OF 
PROCEDURE AND FINANCIAL RULES AND COMPLIANCE.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  AT THE FIRST MEETING (REFTEL) OF THE FAO INTERIM 
COMMITTEE FOR THE TREATY, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AGREED ON A 
PLAN FOR WORK WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO 
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TREATY'S GOVERNING BODY. THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  02210  01 OF 02  191114Z 
WORK PLAN INCLUDES: AN EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON 
PREPARATION OF A DRAFT MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT AND A 
WORKING GROUP MEETING ON DRAFT FINANCIAL RULES, RULES OF 
PROCEDURE AND COMPLIANCE. 
 
3. THERE IS NO FUNDING IN FAO'S REGULAR BUDGET FOR THESE 
ACTIVITIES; ABSENT VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS THEY WILL 
NOT/NOT TAKE PLACE.  SHOULD THE INTERIM COMMITTEE MEET 
BEFORE THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED SESSION OF THE 
COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES, FUNDING WOULD BE 
REQUIRED FOR THAT SESSION AS WELL. 
 
4.  FAO HAS PREPARED A "MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND" PROPOSAL 
(COVER LETTER PROVIDED BELOW; COMPLETE PROPOSAL FAXED TO 
OES RICK DRISCOLL 4/29/03) WHICH OUTLINES THE FINANCIAL 
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EXPERT GROUP AND WORKING GROUP 
MEETINGS, A MEETING OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE AND 
SECRETARIAT SUPPORT.  THE OVERALL ESTIMATE IS USD 
 
SIPDIS 
2,886,965 OVER 2003-2004.  OF MOST IMMEDIATE INTEREST IS 
THE EXPERT GROUP FOR THE MTA WHICH IS COSTED AT USD 
378,250 (USD 228,250 FOR SERVICING THE MEETING; USD 
150,000 FOR TRAVEL OF EXPERTS AND ADVISERS FROM 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND COUNTRIES WITH ECONOMIES IN 
TRANSITION.) 
 
MTA EXPERT GROUP -- CURRENT STATE OF PLAY 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5.  MISOFF MET WITH CLIVE STANNARD, SENIOR LIAISON 
OFFICER IN FAO'S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT MAY 15, 2003 TO 
DISCUSS THE FUNDING SITUATION.  THE SECRETARIAT CURRENTLY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  02210  01 OF 02  191114Z 
HAS ABOUT USD 57,000 FOR THE MTA EXPERT GROUP.  FUNDS ARE 
AVAILABLE FROM CANADA (USD 21,00), SPAIN (USD 9,000) AND 
FROM LEFTOVER FUNDS FROM DONORS FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES. 
STANNARD SAID THAT WAS NO CHANCE OF HOLDING THE MTA 
MEETING BEFORE AUGUST; THEY HAVE TENTATIVELY SET THE DATE 
FOR OCTOBER, WITH THE WORKING GROUP ON RULES OF 
PROCEDURE, FINANCIAL RULES AND COMPLIANCE TENTATIVELY 
SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 2003. 
 
EARLY ENTRY INTO FORCE OF TREATY? 
--------------------------------- 
 
6.  STANNARD ALSO INFORMED MISOFF THAT THE EU EXPECTED 
THAT MEMBER STATE RATIFICATIONS WOULD BE COMPLETE BY THE 
END OF 2003, WHICH WOULD BRING THE NUMBER OF 
RATIFICATIONS 6 SHORT OF THE FORTY REQUIRED TO BRING THE 
TREATY INTO FORCE.  SHOULD THE TREATY COME INTO FORCE 
WITH WORK ON THE MTA, FINANCIAL RULES, RULES OF PROCEDURE 
AND COMPLIANCE STILL UNFINISHED, PARTIES TO THE TREATY 
WOULD NEED TO DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED.  STANNARD SUGGESTED 
THAT ONE POSSIBILITY WOULD BE FOR THE INTERIM COMMITTEE 
TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, WHICH 
WOULD THEN FINISH THE WORK NECESSARY BEFORE THE FIRST 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4759 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  02210  02 OF 02  191114Z 
ACTION OES-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AF-00    AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  COME-00  CTME-00 
      INL-00   DODE-00  ITCE-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  EB-00    EXME-00 
      EUR-00   E-00     UTED-00  FDRE-01  VC-00    FRB-00   TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    ITC-01   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  CAEX-00  PER-00 
      ACE-00   STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  USIE-00  DRL-01   G-00 
      SAS-00     /010W 
                  ------------------673FB1  191115Z /38 
R 191112Z MAY 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9992 
USDA FAS WASHDC 2675 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY MEXICO 
USEU BRUSSELS 3237 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 002210 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/ENV RICK DRISCOLL, IO/EDA KOTOK 
USDA FOR HEGWOOD, USDA/FAS FOR REICH AND HUGHES, USDA/ARS 
FOR JUNE BLALOCK AND PETER BRETTING 
USAID FOR ROB BERTRAM 
MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL 
NAIROBI FOR UNEP 
 
FROM FODAG 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  02210  02 OF 02  191114Z 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  EAGR, AORC, FAO, 
SUBJECT: FUNDING REQUEST: FAO TREATY ON GENETIC RESOURCES 
 
MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BODY. 
 
FAO PROPOSAL FOR MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND 
--------------------------------------- 
 
7.  TEXT OF THE SECRETARIAT LETTER TO AMBASSADOR HALL, 
U.S. PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, FOLLOWS: 
 
APRIL 28, 2003 
 
YOUR EXCELLENCY: 
 
I HAVE THE HONOR TO SUBMIT TO YOU FAO'S PROPOSAL FOR THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF A MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND IN SUPPORT OF 
THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON 
PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. 
 
THIS MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM OF WORK FOR 2003 AND 2004 
ESTABLISHED BY THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMISSION ON 
GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ACTING AS 
INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT 
GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE.  IT RESPONDS 
TO FAO CONFERENCE RESOLUTION 3/2001, WHICH REQUESTED THE 
COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 
TO ACT AS INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY, 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  02210  02 OF 02  191114Z 
AND DESCRIBED THE WORK TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE INTERIM 
PERIOD. 
 
THE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED BY THE MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND 
ARE INCREMENTAL TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF THE ENTRY INTO 
FORCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY, AS ALREADY PLANNED IN 
THE FAO MEDIUM TERM PLAN (2002-2007).  HOWEVER, AS THE 
INTERNATIONAL TREATY WAS ADOPTED IN NOVEMBER 2001, AFTER 
THE FAO PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET FOR 2002/03 HAD BEEN 
DEVELOPED, LIMITED RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE 
PROGRAM OF WORK AND BUDGET; THERE IS CONSEQUENTLY A NEED 
FOR SUBSTANTIAL EXTRA-BUDGETARY SUPPORT FOR HE ACTIVITIES 
FORESEEN IN THE INTERIM PERIOD. 
 
THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: (A) ONE MEETING OF THE 
EXPERT GROUP ON THE TERMS OF THE STANDARD MATERIAL 
TRANSFER AGREEMENT; (B) ONE MEETING OF WORKING GROUP ON 
THE RULES OF PROCEDURE AND THE FINANCIAL RULES OF THE 
GOVERNING BODY AND COMPLIANCE; AND (C) THE SECOND MEETING 
OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY. 
THESE MEETINGS ARE INTENDED TO PREPARE A NUMBER OF 
IMPORTANT INSTRUMENTS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE 
GOVERNING BODY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY AT ITS FIRST 
MEETING; FAILURE TO AGREE ON SUCH INSTRUMENTS BY THE TIME 
OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNING BODY MAY COMPLICATE THE 
TREATY'S IMPLEMENTATION. 
 
I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL, THEREFORE, IF YOU COULD INDICATE, 
AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE, YOUR GOVERNMENT'S 
WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPOSED MULTI-DONOR 
TRUST FUND TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE INTERIM COMMITTEE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  02210  02 OF 02  191114Z 
 
(SIGNED) 
HENRI CARSALADE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL, TECHNICAL 
COOPERATION DEPARTMENT, FAO, ROME. 
 
END TEXT.  TAMLYN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2003ROME02210 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED