The Governing Body is the highest organ of the Treaty as established in Article 19. Composed of representatives of all Contracting Parties, its basic function is to promote the full implementation of the Treaty, including the provision of policy guidance on the implementation of the Treaty.

   The Governing Body holds regular sessions at least once every two years, scheduled, when possible, to coincide with the meetings of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

   The decisions are taken by consensus unless it is decided (by consensus) to employ another method to arrive at decisions on certain measures. Consensus is always required for amendments of the Treaty and its annexes.

   The Governing Body oversees the following objectives:

(a) provide policy direction and guidance to monitor and adopt such recommendations as necessary for the implementation of the Treaty and, in particular, for the operation of the Multilateral System;

(b) adopt plans and programmes for the implementation of the Treaty;

(c) adopt, at its first session, and periodically review the funding strategy for the implementation of the Treaty, in accordance with the provisions of Article 18;

(d) adopt the budget of the Treaty;

(e) consider and establish, subject to the availability of necessary funds, such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary, and their respective mandates and composition;

(f) establish, as needed, an appropriate mechanism, such as a Trust Account, for receiving and utilizing financial resources that will accrue to it for purposes of implementing the Treaty;

(g) establish and maintain cooperation with other relevant international organizations and treaty bodies, including in particular the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, on matters covered by the Treaty, including their participation in the funding strategy;

(h) consider and adopt, as required, amendments to the Treaty, in accordance with the provisions of Article 23;

(i) consider and adopt, as required, amendments to annexes to the Treaty, in accordance with the provisions of Article 24;

(j) consider modalities of a strategy to encourage voluntary contributions, in particular, with reference to Articles 13 and 18;

(k) perform such other functions as may be necessary for the fulfilment of the objectives of the Treaty;

(l) take note of relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant international organizations and treaty bodies;

(m) inform, as appropriate, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant international organizations and treaty bodies of matters regarding the implementation of the Treaty; and

(n) approve the terms of agreements with the International Agriculture Research Centers and other international institutions under Article 15, and review and amend the Material Transfer Agreement in Article 15.

   Each Contracting Party has one vote and may be represented at the sessions of the Governing Body by a single delegate, who may be accompanied by an alternate, experts and advisers. It is necessary to have a quorum which is constituted by the majority of delegates.