This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ROME 000280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USDA FOR DHEGWOOD, FAS - BRICHEY LREICH AND RHUGHES 
STATE FOR OES/ETC - NEUMANN, EB/TPP/BTT - MALAC 
AND IO/EDA - KOTOK 
USAID FOR EGAT/ESP - MOORE AND BERTRAM 
AND ARS - BRETTING AND BLALOCK 
 
FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SENV KIPR AORC FAO
SUBJECT:  PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES: TREATY COULD ENTER 
INTO FORCE BY JUNE 2004; MATERIAL TRANSFER MEETING MAY 
SLIP UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004 
 
REF:  (A) 03 ROME 2210,    (B) 03 ROME 5197 
      (C) 03 STATE 301407 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  ACCORDING TO THE FAO SECRETARIAT, AS OF 26 
JANUARY SOME 34-35 COUNTRIES HAD SUBMITTED RATIFICATION 
INSTRUMENTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY (IT) FOR PLANT 
GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE.  THE EC IS 
EXPECTED TO DO SO IN MID MARCH 2004, CONCURRENTLY WITH AT 
LEAST A HANDFUL OF EU MEMBER STATES, THUS RAISING THE 
NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS OVER THE THRESHOLD OF 40 AND 
LIKELY TRIGGERING ENTRY INTO FORCE BY MID JUNE 2004. 
MEANWHILE, FAO STILL LACKS SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO HOLD A 
MEETING TO NEGOTIATE A STANDARD MATERIAL TRANSFER 
AGREEMENT AND TWO OTHER IT-RELATED PREPARATORY MEETINGS. 
IF FUNDS ARE NOT FORTHCOMING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE 
DATE OF THE MTA MEETING COULD SLIP FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER 
¶2004.  THESE DEVELOPMENTS SUGGEST THAT THE IT WILL LIKELY 
ENTER INTO FORCE WITH KEY MTA QUESTIONS UNRESOLVED AND 
THE US MARGINALIZED AS AN OBSERVER IN THE INITIAL 
DELIBERATIONS OF THE IT GOVERNING BODY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  ON JANUARY 26, ALTERNATE PERMREP DISCUSSED PROGRESS 
ON THE IT AND MTA WITH CLIVE STANNARD, SENIOR LIAISON 
OFFICER FOR THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD 
AND AGRICULTURE. 
 
¶3.  ACCORDING TO STANNARD, 34 OR 35 COUNTRIES HAVE 
    ALREADY SUBMITTED THEIR IT INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION. 
HE SAID FAO HAD LEARNED THAT THE EC IS PLANNING TO SUBMIT 
RATIFICATION INSTRUMENTS O/A MARCH 12, AND THAT OTHER EU 
MEMBER STATES THAT ARE IN A POSITION TO DO WILL SUBMIT 
THEIR INSTRUMENTS CONCURRENTLY.  ACTION BY THE EUROPEANS 
WILL TAKE THE NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS ABOVE THE MINIMUM 
NUMBER OF RATIFICATIONS (40), THEREBY TRIGGERING ENTRY 
INTO FORCE 90 DAYS THEREAFTER. 
 
¶4.  REGARDING THE MTA EXPERTS MEETING, STANNARD SAID FAO 
STILL LACKS THE NECESSARY DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOLD THE 
INTENDED IT-RELATED MEETINGS.  AT THIS POINT, THERE IS 
ONLY ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE INTERIM COMMITTEE SESSION IN 
NOVEMBER.  THE MTA MEETING AND WORKING GROUP ON 
COMPLIANCE ISSUES MAY HAVE TO BE DEFERRED FROM JULY UNTIL 
NOVEMBER IF THE FUNDING QUESTION IS NOT RESOLVED IN THE 
NEXT FEW WEEKS.  FAO OFFICIALS HAVE TALKED RECENTLY TO 
IRELAND, THE UK AND THE NETHERLANDS, AND ARE ENCOURAGING 
DONORS TO COORDINATE AMONGST THEMSELVES TO ASSURE THE 
NECESSARY FUNDS.  THE SHORTFALL IS ATTRIBUTABLE IN PART 
TO THE CHANGED FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF JAPAN (THE 
LARGEST DONOR TO EARLIER IT NEGOTIATIONS) AND TO A NEW 
TENDENCY AMONG SOME EUROPEAN DONORS TO MAKE BLOCK GRANTS 
TO FAO PROGRAMMING (WHICH ARE THEN SPREAD OVER VARIOUS 
FAO ACTIVITIES) INSTEAD OF EARMARKED VOLUNTARY 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE IT. 
 
¶5.  COMMENT:  IT NOW APPEARS THAT -- NOTWITHSTANDING USG 
EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE OTHER DONORS (REF B) AND OUR OWN 
CONTRIBUTION OF $50,000 -- THE DATE OF THE MTA MEETING 
(ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED FOR OCTOBER 2003) MAY NOW SLIP 
    UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004.  THIS SUGGESTS THAT WE WILL NOT BE 
ABLE TO RELY ON THE MTA PROCESS, WHICH WILL LIKELY START 
LATE AND STRETCH OUT OVER CONSIDERABLE TIME, TO SAFEGUARD 
KEY USG INTERESTS AS THE IT ENTERS INTO FORCE.  WE MAY 
NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON ENSURING THAT OBSERVERS SUCH AS 
OURSELVES HAVE A SPACE TO PARTICIPATE SUBSTANTIVELY IN 
THE INTERIM COMMITTEE. 
 
CLEVERLEY 
 
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	2004ROME00280 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED