The Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) has published an online booklet, titled 'Opinions and Advice of the Ad Hoc Technical Advisory Committee on the Multilateral System and the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).' The publication seeks to provide guidance to Contracting Parties in implementing their obligations under the Treaty.
31 July 2015: The Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) has published an online booklet, titled ‘Opinions and Advice of the Ad Hoc Technical Advisory Committee on the Multilateral System and the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).’ The publication seeks to provide guidance to Contracting Parties in implementing their obligations under the Treaty.
The ITPGR Governing Body established the Ad Hoc Technical Advisory Committee on the Multilateral System and the SMTA as an advisory and technical mechanism to assist the Secretariat in providing support to users of the SMTA and the Multilateral System.
In addition to the opinions and advice of the Committee, the publication contains opinions related to legal and administrative measures to “encourage natural and legal persons to voluntarily place material in the Multilateral System, restoration of material and transfer to farmers for direct use for cultivation.” [ITPGR Press Release] [Publication: Opinions and Advice of the Ad Hoc Technical Advisory Committee on the Multilateral System and the Standard Material Transfer Agreement]