ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
8 May 2003
For more information contact:S.Varma@cgiar.org
Genebank Initiative Aims to Safeguard
Plant Genetic Heritage of the Arab World
Representatives from regional research and development organizations met at ICARDA headquarters on 6-7 May 2003 to consider options for establishment of a genebank to safeguard the plant genetic resources in the Arab World.
     ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy welcomed the participants, emphasized the importance of cooperation in genetic resources conservation, and gave a brief review of the regional genebank initiative, which was first proposed formally about 10 years ago, after the signing of the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
     The Convention recognized each country's sovereign right to its biological diversity, but made clear that each country has a responsibility to conserve biodiversity and share it with other countries.The regional genebank approach was
ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (second from left) stresses the importance of regional cooperation in genetic resources conservation at a meeting to discuss a regional genebank initiative. The meeting was held at the Center's headquarters on 6-7 May 2003.
proposed to raise countries' capacity to conserve biodiversity and fulfill the obligations outlined in the CBD.
     The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP-ROWA) reinvigorated the initiative by funding a feasibility study conducted by ICARDA in 2002. UNEP-ROWA and ICARDA co-convened this week's meeting to consider three options arising from the study: 1) establish a network of existing national genebanks, 2) establish four subregional genebanks, and 3) set up a major, fully centralized genetic resources center to hold a duplicate set of the region's germplasm and cover all aspects of germplasm collection, conservation, and sharing.
     The participants' recommendation will be considered by the League of Arab States, which could make a decision, or additional recommendation, by as early as August 2003. Whatever form the regional genebank takes, funding will need to be found, probably from a number of sources.
     At the opening session, Dr Abdu Al-Assiri, Program Officer, UNEP-ROWA, welcomed the participants and outlined the meeting's objectives. Also participating were Dr Fawzi Taher, Resident Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations–RNE; Dr Adel Jouda, Director, Arab Center for Studies of the Arid Zones and Dry Lands, Syria; and Dr El-Mostafa Darfaoui, Range Management Expert, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, Sudan. Dr Jan Valkoun, Head, Genetic Resources Unit, and Mr Bilal Humeid, Research Associate, took part on behalf of ICARDA. Also attending the opening session were Dr Mohan Saxena, Assistant Director General (At-Large), and Dr William Erskine, Assistant Director General (Research).

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.
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