A contact group established by the Interim Committee of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) has agreed on a draft standard material transfer agreement (MTA) to be used for exchange of material covered by the multilateral system established by the Treaty.

However, a number of issues remain unresolved and the text is bracketed. Held from 24-28 April 2006, in Alnarp, Sweden, the second meeting of the contact group was tasked with finalizing the draft to be considered and adopted by the first session of the Treaty’s Governing Body, which will be held from 12-16 June 2006, in Madrid, Spain. The recognition of the Third Party Beneficiary in the context of the standard MTA, an institution representing the Governing Body and the multilateral system, was widely considered a step forward, while unresolved issues include: the definitions of “product” and “sales,” and formula for benefit-sharing; the rights of the Third Party Beneficiary; obligations of the recipient in the case of subsequent transfers of material; dispute settlement; and applicable law. Contact group Chair Eng Siang Lim (Malaysia) established an intersessional Friends of the Chair group, which will attempt to resolve pending issues prior to the Madrid meeting.
Links to further information
Report of the meeting, May 2006
Meeting documents, 2006