The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture provides for a Funding Strategy, which aims to enhance the provision of financial resources for the implementation of the Treaty. The Funding Strategy includes a Benefit-sharing Fund which supports projects and programmes for the benefit of farmers and local communities in developing countries and countries with economies in transition who work towards maintaining and increasing the use of genetic resources for food and agriculture.

       At its Third Session, the Governing Body recognized the importance of making concrete progress in the operationalization of the Funding Strategy. The Secretary assists the Governing Body to establish and maintain cooperation with other relevant international organizations on matters covered by the Treaty, including their participation in the Funding Strategy. At its Third Session, the Governing Body requested the Secretary to continue collaborating with international mechanisms, funds and bodies, including the Global Crop Diversity Trust, in further operationalizing the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty.

      Following the requests by the Governing Body, the Secretary published a notification addressed to all potential partners of the Benefit-sharing Fund to express their interest in developing possible partnerships with the Treaty to implement the Fund. Further to these requests, the Secretary has invited relevant international organizations to submit information on their mandates; work; technical and financial capacity to implement projects.

The following are submissions received from international organizations to collaborate as partners in the operationalization of the Benefit-sharing Fund. A number of these submissions received have been considered by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on the Funding Strategy that has advised the Secretary and the Bureau on the establishment of partnerships.
 

Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, CATIE

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

World Bank Group