9 June 2015: The High-Level Task Force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) held its third meeting on 9 June 2015, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), to discuss ways to enhance resource mobilization.

The Task Force focused on the urgency of mobilizing financial support for the Benefit-Sharing Fund by September 2015, to facilitate the opening of the fourth call of project proposals. Participants shared ideas of how best to secure resources for the continued and effective functioning of the Benefit-Sharing Fund and other activities of the Treaty, including increasing media outreach and dissemination of impact stories. ITPGR Secretary Shakeel Bhatti presented a short analysis of the impacts of the Fund during the first two rounds of projects, highlighting that more than 70,000 farmers have benefited directly and over 250 grassroots organizations have been involved to date.

The High-Level Task Force helps raise awareness about the Treaty and the Benefit-Sharing Fund among Parties and other potential donors, with its members acting as Treaty Ambassadors. [ITPGR News Release] [High-Level Task Force Webpage]