(hereinafter referred to as the Commission), and Council Resolution 1/85 establishing the Commission under
Article VI. 1 of the Constitution,
Having noted
the recommendations of the
Council
, at its Hundred and Eighth Session, to broaden the mandate of the Commission to that of a Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
Having considered
the relevant provisions of the Basic Texts of the Organization and in particular
Article VI.1 of the Constitution and the "Principles and Procedures which should govern Conventions and Agreements concluded under
Articles XIV and
XV of the Constitution, and Commissions and Committees established under Article VI of the Constitution", set out in Part R of the Basic Texts of the Organization,
Considering
that recent developments, including the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), have increased international awareness of the need for an integrated approach to agrobiodiversity, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity,
Considering
that the broadening of the mandate of the Commission will facilitate an integrated approach to agrobiodiversity and coordination with governments, which are increasingly dealing with policy issues regarding biological diversity in an integrated manner,
Considering
that a Commission with a broadened mandate would guide and monitor FAO 's policies and activities on genetic resources for food and agriculture, and provide for effective cooperation with the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
, the
Commission on Sustainable Development
, the
World Trade Organization (WTO)
, the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Centres and in particular the
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)
, the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
and the
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
, and with other interested international governmental and non-governmental organizations,
Recognizing
that the approaches to plant, forestry, animal and fisheries resources are different and require specialized expertise in each field, best supplied through a number of intergovernmental technical sectoral working groups:
1.
Decides
to broaden the mandate of the
Commission on Plant Genetic Resources
to cover all components of biodiversity of relevance to food and agriculture;
2.
Further
decides
that the Commission shall be known hereafter as "the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture";
3.
Further
decides
that the implementation of the broadened mandate of the Commission shall be carried out through a step-by-step approach, beginning with animal genetic resources, in a manner that will not adversely affect the important processes under way within the Commission for the preparation of the Fourth International Technical Conference to be held in mid-1996 and for negotiating the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, which are the pressing priority activities of the Commission;
4.
Requests
the
Council
, at its Hundred and Tenth Session, to adopt suitable statutes for the broadened mandate of the Commission, on an interim basis and, if necessary, to review them at a future session in the light of the relevant developments.
