FAO activities in Science and Technology for Development

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FAO activities in Science and Technology for
Development
Commission on Science and Technology for
Development 8th Session, 23 27 May 2005

• Andrea Sonnino
• FAO Research and Technology Development Service
• - Interdepartmental Working Group on
  Biotechnology

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FAO activities in Science and Technology for
Development

• The mandate
• The current activities (focus on biotechnology)

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FAOs Role in Research and Technology for
Development

• CONSTITUTION (1945)
• Article I Functions of the Organization
• 2. The Organization shall promote and, where
  appropriate, shall recommend national and
  international action with respect to
• scientific, technological, social and economic
  research relating to nutrition, food and
  agriculture
• 3. It shall also be the function of the
  Organization
• a) to furnish such technical assistance as
  governments may request ..

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15th COAG (1999) main recommendations in regard
to Biotechnology

• to develop a strategic approach to biotechnology
• to undertake activities in information exchange,
  capacity-building and policy advice
• to develop partnerships with the IARCs and NARS
• to help countries draft Biosafety legislation and
  set up regulatory bodies
• to help harmonise Biosafety regulations

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Declaration of the World Food Summit five years
laterINTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST HUNGER

• 25. We call on the FAO, in conjunction with the
  CGIAR and other international research
  institutes, to advance agricultural research and
  research into new technologies, including
  biotechnology. The introduction of tried and
  tested new technologies including biotechnology
  should be accomplished in a safe manner and
  adapted to local conditions to help improve
  agricultural productivity in developing
  countries. We are committed to study, share and
  facilitate the responsible use of biotechnology
  in addressing development needs.

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COAG (17th Session in 2003) main recommendations
in regard to Biotechnology

• The Committee
• highlighted the need for capacity building ()
  in cross-cutting areas such as biotechnology ()
  (para. 13)

• requested that FAO give science-based advice and
  guidance on biotechnology (para. 19).

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FAO activities in Science and Technology for
Development

• The mandate
• The current activities (focus on biotechnology)

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Focus of FAOs activities

• Provide a neutral forum to develop international
  instruments of governance
• Ensure access to
• neutral and balanced
• information
• Provide policy advice
• Provide technical
• assistance

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Developing international instruments of governance

• Global Plan of Action
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources

Code of Conduct on Biotechnology
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Developing international instruments of
governance (ctd.)

• Codex Alimentarius
• International Plant Protection Convention (ISPM
  11)

• Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishery

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Information dissemination

• Website on Biotechnology in 5 languages
• e-mail newsletter in English, French and Spanish
• 47 Updates (every 3 weeks)
• 110 countries reached
• 3,400 subscribers

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E-Forum on biotechnology

• 2,700 Forum Members
• 12 moderated e-mail conferences since March 2000
• More than 1,000 e-mail messages posted
• 50 from developing countries
• Results of first 6 conferences published

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• A data base on the status of development,
  adoption and application of biotechnologies in
  developing countries
• Crops 2079 entries (73 countries)
• Forestry 737 entries
• Livestock 119 entries
• Country profiles
• 53 National
• correspondents

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Information to support decision-making in
biotechnology

• SOFA 2003-04 Agricultural Biotechnology Meeting
  the Needs of the Poor?
• ABPC Agricultural Biotechnology Policy
  Compendium

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Capacity building in Biosafety
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Strengthening Local Capacities

• National biotech policy development (Bangladesh,
  Paraguay, Nicaragua, Swaziland)
• Building regional collaboration Regional Networks
• REDBIO
• AsianBioNet
• APCoAB

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Harmonisation of Biosafety regulations at the
regional level

• Regional surveys of needs and priorities
• Sub-regional workshops in the Caucasus and
  Moldova, Near East, the Caribbean

• Asian Bio-Net
• Formulation of Sub-regional projects for E.
  Europe, the Caribbean and L. America

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Thank you for your attention