The purpose of this notification is to inform of the capacity building workshop on the International Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol being jointly organized by the Secretariats of the CBD and the Treaty, in the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation that was signed between the two Secretariats last October.

The Multilateral System of the FAO Treaty (MLS) is exemplary. In order to promote conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, it establishes a global approach of simplified access to these resources and sharing of benefits from their utilization. This article analyzes the organizational structure of the MLS with the aim of unveiling concrete lessons for a possible system of global management of genetic diversity of a global importance and value based on access and benefit sharing (ABS). The underlying goal of such a system would be to promote conservation and sustainability of such genetic diversity.