BP Singh

Intellectual Property Rights : Protection of Plant Varieties 241step by step process to bring it in harmony with the provisions ofthe CBD. The revised International Undertaking is expected tobecome a protocol to the CBD providing a mechanism for itsimplementation.The CBD recognised two issues to be outstanding thatrequired further consideration to resolve them. These included themechanisms for implementing Farmers' Rights and the status ofex-situ germplasm collections that were not acquired according toprovisions of the CBD, i.e., ass~mbled prior to December 1993.These matters have now been taken up by the FAO Councilfollowing a resolution (3/93) adopted by the conference ofContracting Parties.International Agricultural Research Centres under the CGIARsystem have placed their global germplasm collections underauspices of the FAO upon joining the International Network of exsitucollections through an agreement signed 011 26 Odober 1994.An International Teclmical Conference on genetic resources forfood and agriculture, sponsored by the FAO, has been planned tobe held in June 1996 at Leipzig (Germany) to overview presentstatus of genetic resources in the world and to develop acomprehensive global plan of action in this context.