INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Legend: guidelines/codes

ORGANISATION/

INSTRUMENT

INSTITUTIONAL LAY OUT

MEETINGS AND DOCUMENTS

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

FAO Governing Bodies Agriculture Dept.				FAO Statement on biotechnology
		FAO Conference		31^st session (November 2001)	32^nd session (Nov-Dec 2003)
		FAO Council		123^rd session (Oct-Nov 2002)	124^th session (23-28 June 2003)
		Interdepartmental Working Group on Biotechnology (IDWGB)
		Interdepartmental Working Group on Organic Agriculture
		Committee on Agriculture		15^th Session (Jan 99): included document “Biotechnology” (COAG/99/8) 16^th session (March 2001): included document “Biosecurity in food and agriculture” (COAG/01/8)
		Committee on World Food Security		28^th session (June 2002) World Food Summit (June 2002)	29^th session (12-16 May 2003)
		Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture (to advice Director General)		1^st meeting September 2000.
		Electronic Forum on Biotech. In Food and Agriculture		8 email Conferences in 2000-2002, of which: Conference 1 and background document: “How appropriate are currently available biotechnologies in the crop sector for food production and agriculture in developing countries”. Conference 5 and background document: “Can agricultural biotechnology help to reduce hunger and increase food security in developing countries?” Conference 6 and background document: “The impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on food and agriculture in developing countries”. Conference 7 and background document: “GMOs and gene flow”. Conference 8 and background document: “Role and focus of biotechnology in the agricultural research agendas of developing countries”.
		International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) (AGPP- Plant Protection Service)		IPPC 79 and IPPC 97.
		Interim Commission on Sanitary Measures (ICPM)		ICPM-1 (1998): International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (Determination of Pest Status, Guidelines for Pest Evaluation, Work Programme on Harmonization) ICPM-2 (1999): (Currently 10 standards in total not related to biotech). ICPM-3 (April 2001): -report of the Exploratory open-ended working group below -report of the consultation on IPPC-CBD co-operation (Feb 2001) indicates standards related to GMOs. ICPM-4 (March 2002): - ICPM-4 report appendix VII - specification for standard of LMOs.
		Exploratory Open Ended Working Group on Phytosanitary aspects of GMOs, biosafety and invasive species Open-ended Expert Working Group for the Development of a Detailed Standard Specification on the Plant Pest Risks Associated with LMOs/Products of Modern Biotechnology		-report and recommendations
		Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) (AGPS-Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service):
		Code of Conduct on Biotechnology:		-Preliminary Draft International Code of Conduct on Plant Biotechnology as it relates to genetic resources for food and agriculture. CPGR/89/9: Implications of new biotechnologies for the International Undertaking CPGR/91/12: Biotechnology and plant genetic resources, and elements of a Code of Conduct for Biotechnology CPGR/93/9: Towards an international Code of Conduct for Plant Biotechnology as it affects the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources CPGR-6/95/15: Recent international developments of relevance to the draft Code of Conduct for Plant Biotechnology Background Study Paper No.9: Recent developments in biotechnology as they relate to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture Background Study Paper No.10: Recent developments in biotechnology as they relate to animal genetic resources for food and agriculture
		International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IU) (now “the International Treaty” on PGRFA) Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-PGR)		-Revision of IU: Contact Group (CG) Meetings: CG –3 Tehran (Aug 2000), CG-4 Neuchatel (Nov 2000) and CG-5 Rome (Feb 2001) IU CG6 Spoleto 23-28 April 2001, ExCGRFA-6 (June 2001) and FAO Conference with Open Ended Working Group on the IU (November 2001). International Treaty on PGRFA adopted by FAO Conference on 3 November 2001. First meeting of the CGRFA acting as Interim Committee of the ITPGRFA (October 2002) 1^st session (July 2001)
		Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-AnGR)		2^nd session (September 2000)
Economic and Social Dept.	Commodity and Trade Division:
	Committee on Commodity Problems		Joint Session (28^th Session IG group on Grains + 39^th Session on IG Rice) 63^rd Session (March 2001). Docs for the session: New and Emerging Issues affecting Commodity Markets.
	FAO Food and Nutrition Division: Biotechnology:
	- Roster of experts for FAO/WHO consultations (see below FAO/WHO expert consultations)

FAO/WHO

Codex Alimentarius:

Executive Committee

49^th (Extraordinary Session, Sept. 2001)

50^th Session (June 2002)

51^st (Extraordinary Session, 10-11 February 2003)

52^nd Session (26-27 June 2003)

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

23^rd Session: Medium Term Plan 98-02

24^th Session 2-7 July 2001

25^th (Extraordinary Session, 13-15 February 2003)

26^th Session (30 June-7 July 2003)

Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods derived from Biotechnology:

1^st Session (March 2000): report (CX/FBT/00/2)

2^nd Session (March 2001):

-report of the session (ALINORM 01/34A)

-Preliminary report of the Task Force

3^rd Session (March 2002):

-report of the session (ALINORM 03/34):

- Proposed Draft Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology (latest version in Appendix II of ALINORM 03/34, at step 8/8 – to adop by CAC 25)

- Paper on traceability (CX/FBT 01/6)

- Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Safety Assessments of Foods Derived from Biotechnology for Recombinant DNA Plants (latest version in Appendix III of ALINORM 03/34, at step 8/8 – to adopt by CAC 25)

- Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced Using Recombinant DNA Microorganisms (Appendix V of ALINORM 03/34 at step 6/8 after Exec Com 50)

4^th Session (11-14 March 2003)

Committee on General Principles (CCGP)

15^th session (April 2000): report (ALINORM 1/33).

16^th session (April 2001): report (ALINORM 1/33A)

17^th session (April 2002): report (ALINORM 3/33A)

Proposed Draft Working Principles of Risk Analysis in the Framework of the Codex (Appendix II of ALINORM 3/33, at step 6/8 after Exec Com 50)