Dear Excellencies, Colleagues and distinguished Delegates,

It is a pleasure to congratulate Your Excellency and the Spanish Government, for its generous hospitality and well prepared meeting arrangements. Its also a pleasure for Norway to congratulate FAO and its Secretariat for the Commission on Genetic Resources, so skilfully led by Mr. Esquinas, on the occasion of this first meeting of the Governing Body (of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture). I would also like to extend my congratulations to all contracting Parties, States and observers. Due to our joint efforts I’m convinced that this meeting will lead to a great success.

In addition to the climate change, one of the great environmental challenges that the world is facing, is the loss of biological diversity. Biological diversity includes not only the diversity of ecosystems, and species, but also the diversity of the genetic variation of plants and animals. This genetic variation contributes to the very existence of humanity.

The linkage between environmental measures and the existence of humanity is seldom more evident than when we focus on the importance of the diversity of crops. This diversity represents our toolkit for meeting future challenges of food security, in developing food supply, combating plant diseases and pests, and increasingly also when facing climate change.

Mr. Chairman, let me, briefly mention three important issues in this regard.

One important outcome of this meeting will be to produce a workable and effective Material transfer agreement in order to ensure access to genetic resources for all countries. I recognise that the mandatory payments to the fund will not be sufficient for the need to support countries in the implementation of the Treaty. I will therefore emphasise the crucial importance that the Governing Body adopts a vital and effective Funding Strategy. Parties should also take measures to ensure that funding needs for the Treaty are dealt with in other relevant fora. I also encourage parties to ensure voluntary funds for the Treaty objectives. An essential element of the Funding Strategy will be the contributions by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. The trust has a unique global mandate to ensure the conservation of crop diversity for the future.

Furthermore I am glad to have this opportunity to announce that the Norwegian Government this month made a formal decision to establish a permanent seed vault at Svalbard for global use. Our plan is that this seed vault will open in the autumn of 2007. Svalbard is a group of islands located mid-way between the Northern coasts of Norway and the North pole. The vault will be constructed in the permafrost underground of the mountains in this region, providing a safety net for international and national genebanks worldwide.

During this meeting Norway is also presenting the results of a project on the implementation of article 9 of the International Treaty. This project is emphasising the link between Farmers rights, the maintenance of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and poverty alleviation. We hope by this to start a debate on how countries best can implement their provisions and the need for cooperation within the frame of the Treaty in this regard, and how the Governing Body can support these efforts.

Finally Mr Chairman, Norway has been and will continue to be one of the supporters of FAOs Global System for Plant Genetic Resources as a means to secure food safety, just distribution of the benefits of plant genetic diversity and a sustainable future for us all.

Thank you.